


Under The Bed

by Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Biting, Blood Bond, Claiming Bites, Demon!Eren x Punk!Levi, Demons, Eventual Levi/Eren Yeager, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Levi/Eren Yeager-centric, M/M, Marking, Mates, Mating Bites, Multi, NSFW, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Overstimulation, Past Levi/Erwin Smith, Public Sex, Scent Marking, Switching, Voyeurism, blood marking, demon mating/bonding/courting rituals, demon rituals, demon/human counterparts, dub-con, summonings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-11
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2018-03-01 01:41:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 66
Words: 408,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2754893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house/pseuds/Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Embrace your demons...because you can't run from them. Not for long.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meet The Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi had a simple enough life before an encounter he’d rather forget may just turn out to twist his life into something far less ordinary. Only time will tell if it is for better or for worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So I had an urge to write demonic Eren together with punk Levi and so…here this is.  
> Ta-da!  
> I usually write longer chapters than this, but since this story is just an idea that I’m trying out, I’ll keep things a little less lengthy until I figure out where it’s going.  
> Until then, I hope you enjoy!

“The blood is the life, and I shall drink from the cup of eternity.” – Abraham Stoker, Dracula.

***

 

 

He should run.

It was raining, had been for days now, like the ocean had suddenly decided to dump half its contents from the skies. Ugly clouds blotted out the sun, their mix of grey and deep, vicious purple provided an ominous and stifling ceiling above the city. The alleyway was dark, already dark even before the sun was due to have set, but for some reason Levi Ackerman had decided to return home down the gloomy little back-lane today rather than via the cleaner and, arguably, safer streets.

His umbrella lay at his feet, rolling away slowly amidst the river of slushy water by the gutter after having slipped from his hand. Pelting raindrops, now unhindered, left darkened spots of damp on the raven's dark jacket and the material steadily soaked through. The short strands of his dark hair grew slick in the rain, sticking to his face as he stared at the scene ahead.

Blood. So much blood. Even through the torrential rain the spattering of colour was visible. It was a blotch of life, a now stolen life, that stood out amidst the world of greys and browns in the alleyway. Death was nothing new to the raven-haired man and this case should have been no different than any from his childhood, his teens, his nightmares…but it was.

A man was crouched by the lifeless, twisted body. He was lean and clad in some sort of dark clothes; grey jeans and a faded, blue-grey shirt accompanied by a tattered, black and tan hoodie. But this man was not a saviour, not a concerned passer-by. He had not simply stumbled upon the body as Levi had.

The crouching youth turned his head, catching site of the new witness no more than fifteen metres away. With the jerk of movement that came with straightening out of the hunch, the hood fell back to reveal a face marred with the same red that was pooling on the ground, being swept away by the rain.

Not a man, Levi determined as he squinted through the rain. No, the youth appeared more of a boy than a man, perhaps in his late teens or early twenties at the very most. His brown hair was mussy and quickly growing darker as it dampened under the downpour. Eyes the most extraordinary shade of bluish-green stared watchfully at the raven-haired man as a slow smile curved the stained lips into an amused little simper. It was a sheepish kind of smile, more suited to a child who had been caught red-handed trying to sneak sweets from the kitchen. More of the scarlet ran from that smiling mouth until a hand came up to wipe the stain away. Honest in the way that adults seldom are, the fading smile said that this young man knew exactly what he was doing and knew he had been caught out.

Levi tried to reason with himself, tell his eyes that they hadn’t seen the boy bent over the mutilated corpse a few moments ago, teeth buried deep in one shoulder. He had to be wrong. There was no way that this…this person had been _eating_ another human being! Even if the chunks of missing flesh screamed otherwise.

“Shouldn’t you be calling the cops by now or something?” The youth spoke, his tone curious.

The voice was too pleasant, too playful to match the situation at hand. The teal-eyed brunette began to walk over, no sign of haste in his lazy saunter.

One step closer, two, then three.

He should run. Levi really should run away right now. This minute. This second preferably.

“Hello? Mister?”

The assailant stood in front of him now, not overly close, but near enough to cause trouble. Near enough to make the raven-haired man’s skin prickle. Even if the boy’s lazy stance was quite disarming. Teal eyes appraising, inquisitive as they flickered over Levi from his feet to his face. Confusion lit those blue-green orbs as they trained on his face.

Levi knew that he should turn around and sprint back to the street. Why hadn’t he run yet? It wasn’t that he couldn’t move…it was that he couldn’t seem to find it in himself to want to move badly enough. There was something about that face, that voice, the calm and casual demeanour that didn’t sit right with him. No one should be this at ease with such slaughter…

But then again, the boy wasn’t the only one still standing there.

A friendly smile lit up the youthful face, as if all of the sunshine lacking from the day had been hidden inside the curve of those lips, the glow of those eyes, the gentle dimple that resided in those slightly tanned cheeks.

“Oh, I get it. Shocking, right?” The disarming smile grew a little, an alarming contrast to the words falling from the boy’s lips. “Yeah, sorry about that. It’s been a while. No one was supposed to see…”

“No shit.” He muttered, finding his voice at last.

“Oh, so you can speak! And a nice voice, too. Say something more.”

“What…what were you..?”

“Me? I was just catching up with lunch.” The teal-eyed boy grinned, casually slipping his hands into the pockets of his jumper. “And before you ask, yes that was a pun. You should’ve seen the chase they had in them. Good times, am I right?”

After several long moments of Levi’s continued silence, the brunette gave a sigh and kicked the toe of his shoe at the ground, scuffing the cobbled pavement. The action sent red-stained droplets flying. And then the boy looked up, letting his head roll on his shoulders in a quick stretch, and he began to speak quicker.

“I guess I shouldn’t let you live but I’m feeling lazy today so here’s the deal.” The boy tossed his head, flicking wet hair out of his eyes as he smirked. “I’ll count to ten and you see if you can make it back to the street in that time. If you make it, you’re home free. If you don’t…” The languid grin returned, “…we’ll see. Ready?”

Levi blinked, shaking his head rapidly as the words sunk in. “Wait-”

Teal eyes flashed along with the lightning overhead. “One…”

Levi was skidding around the corner before the word ‘two’ had even begun to form on the younger male’s tongue. He kept pace with the boy’s count down in his head as he dashed back down the narrow lane, slipping more than once in the monster puddles.

“Three!” The boy’s voice travelled as he called out purposefully louder.

“Little shit…” Levi growled under his breath, feet flying across the wet cobbled ground.

Four, five…

Round one corner, then the next, Levi ran like he had never run in his life. He had never backed down from a fight or a threat, never turned his back on danger.

Seven…

Apparently there really was a first time for everything.

Eight…

Nine…

The street was coming into sight, pale light filtering better through the clouds without the clutter of crowded buildings.

Levi felt his adrenaline spike at the same time footsteps reached his ears. Not from the street, but from behind him. Quick and light…and fast.

In a last panicked stride, the raven broke away from the darkened alley, his feet slamming into the pavement as he skidded a little in time to stop before meeting the rushing traffic a mere half a metra away.

“Ten.” A voice whispered in his ear in the same instant that Levi felt a rough shove between his shoulders.

The force sent him stumbling forward and into the chaos of oncoming cars.

Horns blared and other pedestrians cried out in fear as the man narrowly missed being taken out by a taxi.

“Shit!”

He jerked out of the way of another oncoming vehicle, scrambling for the other side of the road where he glanced back wildly in search of his attacker.

No sign of the bastard could be found, no matter where he looked or how long he stared. Levi wanted to lie to himself and say that he had only imagined the voice in his ear. But he was certain that he hadn’t imagined the feeling of warm breath on his nape, especially not in the freezing rain.

“What in the love of fuck just happened?” He muttered under his breath, starting to shiver under the pelting rain.

Wet, bedraggled and very much disturbed, Levi headed straight for home.

 

A half hour later, the door to Levi’s apartment clicked shut behind him and the raven supressed a near overpowering urge to slide down it. What had he just seen? Who was that kid? What had he been doing? There had to have been a reason, right? Why else would he have been so calm?

The multitude of questions continued to build up and up, only serving to add to the turmoil bubbling within his gut. Pushing off from the door, the petite man marched off and went through all of the rooms, closing every single window and eventually settling himself in front of the TV with a larger-than-necessary glass of wine. Red, ironically enough. The screen remained black as the man still hadn’t worked up the desire to turn it on, reaching instead for where his phone sat on the coffee table, next to the wine bottle.

Scrolling through the list of names in his contacts, Levi pressed the last name he ever thought he would want to call after an experience like the one today and held the mobile to his ear.

Three rings in and an overly cheerful voice greeted him with a screeching cry of what he presumed was some odd expression of joy. Unless of course she was being strangled to death. At this point, either option was just as likely as the next.

“ _LEVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!_ Ahahahaha, you little urchin! How are you?”

Joy it was. The woman continued her tirade without so much as a pause for breath.

“How long has it been, even? Years?" More obnoxious laughter. "I kid, I kid. Even so, the last time _you_ called _me_ I was still in-”

“Hanji.”

The excitable chattering cut off in an instant and the call grew quiet. A moment of silence passed between the two, a short and knowing silence.

“… Something’s happened, hasn’t it?” Hanji spoke up at last. Her voice was much calmer, lower in tone and doing its best to be soothing. “I’m right, aren’t I? Levi?”

And that was why he rarely called Hanji Zoe.

The two of them had been friends since kindergarten and had known each other since before he could actually remember. Because of this, the woman could read him like a book more often than not and she had made a habit of calling him out on his shit each and every time it came up. But she also knew whenever something was wrong, a trait that was both infuriating and bizarrely comforting.

Levi let out a rushed sigh, running a hand through his hair and rubbing the shorter fuzz of his undercut. “Just…some really weird shit. I’m not completely sure myself.” He admitted, not willing to go into any of the specifics until he had a better grip on the situation himself. “I don’t really want to talk about it…even if I did; I’m not sure how I would tell you.”

Not two minutes into the phone call and Levi already felt more relaxed just by being able to talk about things. It was calmer inside the apartment, warm and dry and clean. The comforts of home made the odd occurrences of the day seem all the more absurd and unlikely, more like something he would find in one of his nightmares than in actual life. Even without details, Levi knew that Hanji would understand enough to know what to say.

“Sounds rough.” The woman acknowledged, knowingly treading water around the subject. “You’re sure you don’t want to tell me anything?”

The offer was there, right in front of him if he wanted it. Yet another thing that made him remember why Hanji was among those he counted as a friend. She knew when to push and when to let him decide for himself whether or not he would talk.

“Not tonight at any rate.” The raven sighed, taking a moment to drain the rest of his glass of wine. “How’s Moblit?”

A short huff of laughter carried through the phone.

“Subtle change in topic there.” Hanji teased, but mercifully moved on. “Mobi’s good, we’re living together now.”

This was news to Levi. As far as he had known, the two of them had been dating but nothing past that.

“Oh God. Poor him.”

“Hey, shut up, I am a perfectly tolerable flatmate. Unlike you, Mr OCD.”

Levi’s eye twitched a little at the comment. “Fuck you, I don’t have OCD. I just have a high-”

“A high respect for personal hygiene and cleanliness,” Hanji interrupted, attempting to muffle her snickering and failing miserably, “yes I know. That’s why I buy you Windex every Christmas.”

The raven clicked his tongue at the all too chirpy remark. “Tch. That’s about the only useful thing you do.” He muttered in a bored tone, pouring himself a second glass. “How long are you going to put off marriage?”

The woman cackled on the other end of the phone. “It’s just so much fun watching him trying to work up the courage to ask!” She snickered. “Gosh, don’t get me started, I may cry. It’s so adorable!”

“Don’t tease him too much, he might lose hope. And don’t expect to be crying on my shoulder if he dumps your sorry ass.”

“Ah, I know, I know. I promise that if he doesn’t ask in the next year or two then I’ll pop the question myself.” Her words paused for a moment as another bout of giggles took over. “Can you imagine the look on his face, though?”

Levi could definitely imagine the look on poor Moblit’s face.

“Heh. You should film it. He’ll probably faint. Or cry.” Another pause, another generous slurp of wine. “Is he one to blubber?”

The snickering continued. “Only sometimes! But he’s put up with me for long enough, he’s sure to have nerves of steel when it comes to normal things.”

“True enough.” The raven-haired man agreed, taking on a snarky tone. “You’re a fucking force of nature, a real ballbuster.”

Hanji let out a very loud snort at the comment, completely shameless as always. “You’re always so nice, aren’t you? Just a regular ball of sunshine.”

Levi rolled his eyes at the overly teasing tone. “You mean in the same way you’re a perfectly normal human being with no personal space issues whatsoever?” He shot back, downing the last dregs of his second glass.

“Yes. Exactly.” The woman agreed, sounding far too pleased and not at all put out. Same old Hanji. “Are you absolutely positively one hundred and three percent sure that you’re okay?” She asked, serious tone returning for a moment.

“Yeah…yes.” He shrugged even though she couldn’t see it. “I’ll be fine by morning.”

“Of course you will.” The jovial tone returned like it had never left. “Have a drink, loosen up, watch some crappy soap opera or late night drama and skip work tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow is a Saturday, idiot.” The raven griped at her but scooped up the TV remote regardless, jabbing the red ON button and watching the screen burst into muted life.

“All the better!” Hanji shouted through the phone, Levi could practically hear her grinning. “That means you’ll be free all day. Do you want me to come over?”

“God no!” He answered quickly, sitting up straighter in alarm. “I’m still recovering from last time.”

There was no joke in his words and they both knew it. The incident the pair was referring to had even been labelled as the Great Shit-fest of ’07. You had to have been there to understand.

Levi grimaced at the sudden and unexpected sound of Hanji’s screaming laughter tearing through his phone (really, though, what about Hanji isn’t ‘sudden and unexpected?’) and held the device a safe distance from his ear until the screeching died down.

“Ahahaha! I told you that it was an accident!” The woman tried to explain for about the thousandth time since the ‘incident’ had occurred. “I swear I never meant for that fish tank to explode!”

“Tell that to Norman and Oswald.” The raven deadpanned, taking another gulp of wine and holding the glass up to the light of the TV.

He wondered what glass he was up to now…

“It was an honest mistake! I said I was sorry.”

“Yeah, yeah. I remember.” He offered, smirking to himself at the memory of a sobbing Hanji waiting on his doorstep in the hallway outside his apartment for a whole hour trying to get him to open the door. Both of them had been stupidly hung-over. Good times. God they had been stupid back then but, really, what had changed? “The roses were a bit much, though.” The raven added with a tiny frown as he thought harder; back to the horrendous clean up.

A gasp sounded at the other end of the phone. “It was supposed to be an apology!”

Levi knew that, he did, but of all the ways to say sorry…a hundred red roses weren’t the first way one would think of to make it up to such a decidedly cynical person like him. Or if it was, then it shouldn’t be.

“But for me? Really?” Levi pressed the issue, his characteristic little half smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth as he listened to the woman whine out her protests.

“It was one time, Levi, and I leave you alone most of the time anyway. I mean, nobody is perfect, not even me. I know, I know, it’s a shock but I’m sure that you will be able to look past that total shock and see that it was a gesture of…sweetness or something from a very… _very_ drunk friend. I don’t know! What more do you want from me?”

Making Hanji rant had turned into a rare pleasure for the petite male and he settled back smugly against the sofa, milking the topic for all it was worth.

“You got those damned petals all through my goddamned flat, shitty glasses.” He drawled out, draining the last of the wine straight from the bottle.

“Argh! I know, I know!”

More helplessly apologetic noises. Honestly, some of the sounds that came out of that woman’s mouth were more akin to a dying cat caught somewhere between being strangled and electrocuted. The more he dwelt on it…the more bizarre it seemed.

“It took a whole day to clear them all away.” Levi went on, inspecting his nails in a calm fashion while Hanji wailed out apologies.

“I know, I am sorry and wretched and impulsive and you know it will never happen again so long as I live.”

“Not to mention clearing away the fish tank-”

“ _I can buy you some new fish! I’ve said that already!_ ”

“I don’t want more fish! Once was enough, Hanji.”

“ _I must have traumatised you!_ _I’m sorry! Please don’t be maaaad!_ ”

“Your banshee screaming is what’s making me mad, dammit! And I’m not mad, I’m indifferent!”

“Eehehee! But indifferent people don’t shout into their phones!”

“Gah! I’ll call you tomorrow, you ridiculous woman.”

“Not if I call you firs-”

“You don’t get out of bed until midday. So there. Goodbye.”

“Sorryaboutthefish! Byeeeeeeeeee-”

Levi stabbed the End Call button and sighed, rubbing his temple with his free hand. It was always extremely tiring to talk to Hanji…but at least he didn’t feel paranoid anymore.

Switching off the television, Levi dragged himself through a scalding shower, scrubbing for good measure in an effort to get his skin to stop crawling. The action failed to work quite as well as he would have hoped but, with nothing to be done and the heavy pull of sleep tugging at his lids, the raven retired at last to bed.

The events of the day, whatever that had even been, could easily wait until tomorrow. But what _had_ happened?

_“What indeed..?”_

That night Levi slept restlessly, freed from his usual nightmares only to be haunted by visions of bloodstained lips and teal eyes.

_“Wake up, Levi…”_

_“Wake up.”_

_“Come and find me.”_

_“Find me.”_

_“Wake up.”_

_“Levi…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was 100% un-beta’d!!! D: So hopefully that wasn't...terrible. I can never tell, but you guys can! So let me know if this was good, crap, so-so, whatever! I don't bite, I swear! :) Should I keep going with this thing? Anyway, thanks for stopping by and reading!


	2. Blurred Lines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little longer than the last one but a bit closer to the usual length I write. Also AO3 is doing a thing where it won’t let me upload rich text documents so the editing on this might look a little weird :/  
> But as far as content goes: a little character development for Levi and some more Eren trolling ^_^ Enjoy!

“Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you.” – C. G. Jung.

***

A day passed easily enough, quickly followed by another. Levi’s flat was nearing a sparkling level of cleanliness after the thorough scrub down on Saturday and Sunday had been spent reorganizing the few items he actually had in each room. It was all too easy to write off the strange happenings as bizarre workings of his mind, as nothing more than another of his nightmares, considering how tired the raven had been feeling of late. It had been a Friday, the end of yet another long and gruelling week, and everyone knew that Fridays could be trippy as shit at the best of times.

Monday arrived and with it came the mundane and yet comforting routine of work. Levi could deal with going to work. It was a repetitious pattern, a numbing routine that he had learned to appreciate.

Levi Ackerman was employed at the Shiganshina Dojo in the city. It was near enough to his apartment that he could walk to and from the venue; located on the outskirts of the inner city but close enough that it still brought in plenty of customers. Levi was a trainer, assisting with larger classes from time to time but mostly focusing on his own smaller cluster of pupils. The raven taught self-defence along with his speciality of martial arts.

If anyone wondered how the petite man kept such a solid figure, lean and yet muscular with the build of a fighter, it instantly became clear when they learned what he did for a living. Not a boxer, not an elite assassin, not even a mafia boss; just a simple instructor, plain and easy. Even so, the raven-haired man could knock most people flat without blinking.

Most of his pupils were older, unlike the younger students who were training for competitions. He had a few regulars, twenty-somethings who seemed adamant to be taught by him and only him. He learned their names and faces, Petra Ral, Erd Jinn, Gunther Schultz and Aurou Bossard. All good kids, more than tolerable unlike some of the younger twerps the raven had had to deal with in the past. The other staff had even gone so far as to nickname the little group, calling them his squad.

“Here comes Squad Levi!”

“Make way for the fearsome warriors of Levi’s Squad!”

Levi would roll his eyes and carry on, secretly no so bothered by the words as his scowl might have said. They all knew how he was, there was no use pretending to be sociable.

Jogging up the steps to the front entrance, Levi shucked the charcoal grey coat he’d been wearing as he entered the foyer. He passed the admission desk with a single-handed wave of greeting to the woman manning the desk.

“Good morning, Levi!” She called merrily in welcome.

“Nifa.” He acknowledged with a little tilt of his head, heading through to the training rooms.

He had to smirk at the army of toddlers gathering in the main hall. They all looked so determined for about ten seconds before growing distracted again. He pitied the instructor that would be taking charge of that bundle of horrors.

“Ah, Levi, my ever friendly recluse!” A cheery voice greeted him from across the room.

The raven looked up, gunmetal eyes locking onto the taller form of Nanaba as she crossed the floor. She walked with a confident stride, dressed in three-quarter pants and a t-shirt that allowed a greater range of movement. Her socked feet made next to no noise as she walked, nothing above a soft thud as she approached. Tall and lithe with blonde hair cropped into a short, loosely tousled mop; Nanaba was one of the owners of the Shiganshina Dojo along with her partner, Mike Zacharius. They were good employers, fair and understanding when it came to the personal lives of their staff. The pair also worked well together, both as business partners and as a couple.

“Can I help you? Did that asshat from Central come back?”

“Good morning to you too.” She said through a smirk, all too familiar with the raven’s blunt approach to conversation. “And no, nothing like that. How are you?”

Levi raised an eyebrow, already suspicious. “Peachy.”

Nanaba knew he wasn’t into chit chat or idle conversation, she knew him far better than this. Levi’s eyes narrowed a fraction; his brow creased as he tried to think what might have brought on the change in character. He didn’t like it one bit. Thankfully Nanaba stilled maintained her straightforward attitude and he didn’t have to wonder for long after her next words.

“Hanji called.”

Oh. Oh great. That was just what he needed. One out of character phone call and suddenly Hanji thought she would tell everyone they knew? Just wonderful.

The raven groaned. “Of course she did.”

“Come on, we both know she’s just worried about you.”

Levi let out a longsuffering sigh as he leant against the wall. “Yeah, I get it.”

Eyes coloured with a small hint of concern regarded him carefully as Nanaba spoke again, no doubt watching for any sign that something was wrong.

“She said something happened,” The woman paused, still holding the raven’s cool gaze as she waited for a moment, “…anything you want to tell me?”

Levi had never been more certain of an answer in his life.

“Nope.” He replied, letting the ‘p’ sound pop at the end of the word.

A knowing little half smile tugged at the corner of Nanaba’s mouth. “Right. Well, as you can probably imagine, I told Mike.”

“Christ.” He muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

The two exchanged similar expressions of sympathy, Nanaba because she knew how Levi would feel about Mike worrying over him and Levi because he could imagine exactly how the blonde mountain of a man would have reacted.

Levi and Mike went way back, having gone to the same high school together. They had shared a very tightknit group of friends that consisted of himself, Mike, Hanji and another individual named Erwin. Mike had met Nanaba in college but three of the four friends, Levi, Mike and Hanji, had remained close. Erwin had gone off to study abroad. The man was probably secretly running the world by now, for all the raven knew.

“We both agree that some time away could do you good.” Nanaba said, bringing Levi out of his reverie and back to the conversation at hand.

He blinked up at her, running the sentence through his mind once more just to make sure that he had heard right. Levi shook his head.

“No. Don’t give me that, you know how Hanji is. Whatever she told you, she’s exaggerating.”

The blonde didn’t look convinced, rolling her weight onto her back foot and leaning with the motion, arms crossing loosely over her chest. An eyebrow arched up. “So nothing happened?”

At this, the raven averted his eyes. He wasn’t a liar, far from it. When Levi Ackerman didn’t want someone to know something, he simply didn’t say it. He didn’t believe in tip-toeing around his words with anyone, even more so to the people he considered to be his friends. So he didn’t say anything at all, opting instead to look over at the scrambling kids as they tried to form an attack stance.

Nanaba gave him an empathetic smile, her posture relaxing again and her voice instantly taking on that almost mothering tone it got whenever she wanted to convince someone. “Levi…you haven’t had time off in ages.”

The subject had been mercifully dropped in favour persuading him, providing the perfect chance for escape and the raven leapt at it.

“So I’m dedicated.” He muttered, shoulders rolling in a shrug. “So what? Have I slacked off recently or something?”

“No, just the opposite. You work just as hard as anyone else here.”

“So why am I in trouble?”

“You’re not in trouble, Levi. We’re just looking out for you.”

Her kind tone reminded him of Mike, it was no wonder that the two of them had gravitated towards one another. Kind, understanding and insightful, both of them would have approached this conversation in the same way. Maybe the words would have been different but that tone, that gentle pleading look in blue eyes would always be the same no matter which one came for you.

“Just…take a few days, go home, rest, relax.” She went on, voice softer, gentle as she reached out, brushing gentle fingers against his arm briefly. “We’ll even make it paid leave if that’ll make you less tense about the idea.”

But Levi was nothing if not stubborn. “I don’t need time off. If I did, I’d ask.”

“I know, I know, Levi.” She said with a gentle chuckle, tapping a finger against her mouth as she thought. “Well then…why don’t you try working from home instead? You’ve done that before, right? Go back, do some more of your tutorial videos, take a breather.”

Levi shifted against the wall, thinking on those words.

In all honesty, that actually didn’t sound like such a terrible idea. He could sleep in and not have to deal with some of the bratty kids that came into the dojo during the week. Some of those rich, snooty kids made him want to kick them in the face rather than teach them how to kick other people in the face. Fortunately for them it wasn’t worth the jail time so the twerps would get to keep their teeth another day.

“It doesn’t have to be a permanent thing, it could be temporary. A trial run of sorts. We’re not firing you, but you need to remember that this can be as flexible as you need it to be. If you want to take some time away from things…then that’s fine. Just say the word.”

He nodded once. “Okay.”

Nanaba kept on with her speech, apparently not expecting such an easy win.

“You don’t have to…wait,” she paused, blinking down owlishly at the blank faced man for a moment, “sorry, I beg your pardon?”

Grey eyes rolled as thin lips parted in a frustrated exhale. “I said okay, I’ll do it. Don’t make me repeat myself, you know I hate it.”

A bright smile lit up the woman’s face. “O-Okay, this is good.” She clapped her hands together once, looking back over her shoulder across the room. “I’ll let Mike know.”

Levi nodded, waving her off as he pushed away from the wall.

“Can I still take today’s kids? I’ll need to let them know what’s happening.”

The blonde gave him a confused look before glancing over at the bunch of screaming toddlers and then back to him. She jerked a thumb in the direction of the small children and Levi’s eyes widened.

“No, no no! Not those-I meant my people.”

An awkward pause passed between the two as they stared…and then Nanaba started laughing.

“Oh, thank God!” She exclaimed in obvious relief. “For a second there I thought you were actually going to offer to teach the little ones!” The woman doubled over with laughter, taking her sweet time to get the giggles under control before waving him off. “Of course, absolutely. But your students aren’t kids, you know.”

“They’re kids to me.” The raven countered, shrugging as he headed for his own room upstairs.

Nanaba smiled to herself as she watched him go. “Sure, of course.”

 

As four o’clock rolled around, Levi declared that he was going home early and left. It was still fairly sunny out, but the surrounding buildings provided enough shade to keep the crowded sidewalk cool enough. Having skipped lunch, the raven-haired man stopped by one of the family run restaurants for food before heading straight for home just like any other day.  
The sky was slowing growing from blue to grey as the sun descended. There was enough light to make it home, Levi was certain of it as he strode in the direction of his own suburb. Head down, eyes focusing on the odd black stilettoes of the woman in front of him, hands in his pockets as he wondered if said woman was regretting her choice in shoes.

The walk home had proved as good a time as any to reflect on the day’s proceedings. His students had been upset to know that their teacher wouldn’t be coming into the dojo for a while, a week at least, but had certainly brightened after being informed of the blog they would be able to reach him through.

His old tutorials blog was still linked on the dojo’s website, along with Miss Brzenska’s training tips blog. From there, people would be able to ask questions, update him on progress and access any videos or demos he put up.

Walking along with the throng of people who were also heading home, Levi could let his mind relax. It would be beyond good to live free of any work related responsibility for a while and the thought left the raven-haired man eager to explore the options that would come with the added free time. He would certainly be able to clean more, catch up on missed sleep and maybe even attempt to get through all the books Hanji had sent him over the years.

Up ahead, the glow of traffic lights caught his eye. Red to green, green to yellow and then back to red. He had to cross here, take a right and walk till he reached the park. Through the park, over the bridge, he might stop to look at the river for a while before walking the remaining distance home. It was still light enough and the park was always so quiet at this time of day.  
Levi paused at the lights, along with a number of others that waited on the pavement for the sign to walk. Cars flew by, flashes of yellow cabs and a myriad of other colours, white, grey, blue, passed in his periphery as other vehicles passed by.

Looking up at the change of lights from red to green, the raven caught the stare of another pair of eyes as they locked onto his face. The foreign gaze grew shocked and suddenly those eyes were a lot closer. Levi took a step back, startled by the sudden close proximity of another human being, and cried out a protesting ‘hey’ as he was grabbed by the shoulders with such force that the motion slammed him back against the building behind him. All the air in Levi’s lungs left in a rush at the impact, leaving him winded and coughing. A few heads turned at the rush of movement, casting passing cursory glances, confused or curious faces soon returning to their own business as the space-invader began to speak.

“I know you!” The person said firmly, sounding shocked in spite of themselves.

A male voice, Levi recognised through his momentary daze. Whoever it was sounded awfully sure of themselves; somehow the shocked tone left no room for argument.

“And you tell me by throwing me into a wall?” Levi wheezed as his coughing subsided and he shoved the person back a couple of paces. “Smooth, kid. Now who the fuck-”

Levi found himself momentarily lost for words as he finally looked up at the person standing not even a meter away. A male with a boyish face, lean and a little lanky in appearance with a head full of messy brown hair. Familiar…too familiar. He stood a little taller than Levi; the shorter male had to look up a bit to see his eyes. But it was the boy’s eyes that had him frozen there, mouth still slightly open as he floundered for words lost.

Wide teal eyes stared intently into startled grey, searching for a reason why they knew the face before them. The raven’s heart stuttered in his chest, pulse picking up as he was finally able to place just where he had seen that face before.

“You’re the brat from the alley…”

The words should have stayed in his head, Levi hadn’t meant to utter them aloud, but it was all too late to snap his mouth shut now. A heavy silence hung between them, the kind of silence that the white noise of passers-by is lost to, as the boy continued to stare.

Levi almost jumped as a bright smile of recognition settled over the brunette’s features.

“That’s right…I knew it!” He grinned, nodding to himself. “I was sure I’d seen you before…you’re the one who interrupted.” The kid made a face, clicking his tongue in a show of disapproval before smirking slyly. “But you played my game so I guess I can forgive you this time around.”

Levi stared, feeling completely discombobulated as he watched the brat wink, _fucking wink_ , at him. He shook his head violently to clear it before regaining eye contact and glaring in what he hoped was a threatening display.

“Game? What fucking game?”

“You ran.” The boy stated, face blank for once like he thought that the answer had been clear as day. “Not many people do. Too scared, I guess.” He shrugged before extending a hand. “I’m Eren.”

The raven-haired man stared in utter disbelief. Could this kid hear himself talk? Did he know how goddamned jarring he was to talk to? After remaining in an incredulous silence for more than thirty seconds, the brunette withdrew his hand with a quiet chuckle, electing instead to scratch at his nape.

“Sorry, sorry, I haven’t done this in a while.” The boy, Eren apparently, said through a laugh that was downright giddy…like he was some seventeen year old schoolgirl out on a date. “Socialising is tough work and it’s an understatement to say that my people skills are a little rusty.”

Levi blinked at him, one eye twitching in annoyance. “Rusty? They’re non-existent.”

“That’s a little harsh.”

“Don’t fucking interrupt me!” The raven snapped, his stance growing more defensive by the minute. “You just shoved me into a wall because you thought maybe you knew me.”  
At that, Eren glanced away guiltily, wincing a little. The sheepish smile never left his face the whole time.

“Well yeah, touché there, but I was right wasn’t I?” The boy argued in a hopeful tone. “I have pretty good instinct like that.” He stated proudly, as if that fact made everything completely fine.

Levi couldn’t believe this kid. No way was this the same person who had probably murdered that twisted corpse in an alley. This had to be some sort of accident, they didn’t know each other, it was a coincidence plain and simple. It had to be.

He gave a frustrated sigh, quick and rushed as he waved the boy back a step. “I don’t care about your instincts or whatever; I just want to go home.”

Levi went to step past the kid, but damn if the brat wasn’t quicker than he looked. The raven jerked to a stop to avoid crashing right into the other male’s chest, electing to glare up at the brunette instead.

“What the fuck is your problem?” He hissed, taking a step back.

The boy rolled one shoulder in a casual half-shrug. “No problem…but I do know you.”

“Yeah, right, keep telling yourself that. Now could you kindly move, asshole?” Levi rolled his eyes, hand clenching into a fist at his side.

From the amused yet wary look on Eren’s face, the brat had noticed the action. It wasn’t enough to discourage him though. If anything, Eren’s smile turned challenging.

“Ouch, that was a bit rude.”

“Said the twat blocking my way.” The raven-haired man muttered through clenched teeth.

Blue-green eyes flicked once around them. “You’re making people stare.”

Levi hesitated, taking a quick glance around. As much as he wanted to shout at this kid to leave him the fuck alone, Eren was right. Several people were looking at them now as they waited to cross the road and neither of them could afford to make a scene.

With a sharp sigh, Levi looked back at the boy. “Look,” he began, rubbing the bridge of his nose, “just…tell me what the fuck you want and I’ll get out of your hair, deal?”

The boy before him looked completely taken aback, like he hadn’t even considered that Levi might ask such a question.

“Want?” Eren said, laughing suddenly. “I don’t want anything. I was just saying hello.”

“Just saying-?” Levi cut himself off, hissing under his breath. “I don’t believe this shit. Just saying hello my ass! You’re a fucking murderer!”

“Hush,” the boy murmured gently, still smiling as his eyes scanned the passers-by, “this isn’t the place for that sort of talk.”

Levi froze, not sure if Eren was confessing something through that statement or not. He squared his shoulders, steely eyes narrowing. “It’s the only place.” He countered sternly. “I’m not going anywhere else with you.”

If nothing else, the raven’s words seemed to amuse Eren further. He exhaled through his nose, smirk growing lazy.

“Oh really? Why’s that?” The brunette leaned in a little closer. “Do I make you nervous?”

“Did you seriously just ask that? Are you some special kind of stupid or do you really not notice how creepy you are?”

“I already said that I’m not good at this.”

“Look, I don’t care about that or you or anything to do with this, but…just tell me…did you really kill that guy? Or was it some kind of accident?”

Eren gave a suddenly light-hearted laugh that seemed completely out of character for such a conversation.

“All these questions and I don’t even know you. Shouldn’t you be buying me lunch or something first?” The kid practically sang the words, tone oozing playfulness as he rolled his weight onto his back foot.

Levi stared. This brat was impossible. Just when he thought he was getting somewhere, like maybe Eren would give him a solid answer, the kid started fucking flirting. Flirting of all things! Unable to think of anything better to say, Levi settled for the first sentence that came into his head.

“It’s a little late for lunch.” The raven countered, gesturing to the rapidly darkening sky above.

Eren glanced up; never losing the air of amusement that seemed to cling about the kid like an aura. “Huh, I guess you’re right. Dinner then?”

Eye twitching, the raven’s gunmetal orbs narrowed to slits. “Bite me.” He snapped.

Eren laughed, just once. “Don’t tempt me.”

Levi felt his skin tingle as he was flashed a lazy grin, not at all an unattractive smile but the way those teeth glinted in the streetlight were more than a little unsettling. Especially considering that he had seen them stained with red a little over three days ago. Eren continued, his tone as light and playful as ever.

“At the very least, you can buy me a drink before we go into any details about that mishap.”

Levi stared incredulously, resisting the urge to throw his hands into the air. “Mishap? You had your teeth in a person!”

“I thought I was alone.”

_“That doesn’t make it any better!”_

“Shh…” Eren hushed him, still smirking as he reached out to put a finger to the raven’s lips.

Levi smacked the hand away, finding it more and more difficult to suppress his urge to wipe the smug smile of the brat’s face with his fist. Calm down, he told himself, violence will get you nowhere. At least in public anyway. If they were alone…well-

It was at that moment that Levi took a look around them, a proper look, and he noticed with a fresh surge of panic that there were significantly less people around. The crowd was slowly growing thinner as more people headed home. It was getting dark.

“Is something wrong?”

The raven’s attention snapped back to the boy, not failing to notice the eyes that seemed to grin at him even when the brunette’s smile was absent.

“I need to go.”

Oddly enough, Eren gave a disappointed little frown. “Aw, really? That’s a shame.” The boy seemed to resign himself to the fact that his ‘entertainment’ would be leaving, before perking up again suddenly. “Do you want me to walk you home?”

Levi glared daggers at the bright-eyed brat as he ground out his next words. “No. Fucking. Way.”

Eren held up his hands as if in defence. “It was just a question. Honestly, you need to calm down. Go home, sleep, get some scented candles, take a nice herbal bath, smoke some weed, I don’t know, but do something. You’re too tense-”

The brunette made a sound of protest as Levi shoved past him, ducking around a few people and walking away with quick strides.

“Okay then! Goodnight!” The brat called after him and then nothing.

Nothing but the sound of Levi’s feet against the pavement, the gentle wind, and the crickets coming out as twilight blanketed the streets in a deep purple shade. He passed very few people, heading straight through the park without stopping.

Levi did _not_ run home. If anything, he power-walked home. But the second the raven reached his building he dashed up the stairs, (because screw waiting for the elevator) fishing out his keys on the way, and as soon as he was inside he locked the place down for the second time in less than a week.

Panting, he really did slide down the door this time.

“There…has to be…something wrong with me.” The raven managed to voice between breaths.

Despite everything that had transpired, Levi ended up actually taking Eren’s advice and took a bath instead of a shower, letting the hot water ease him into a relaxed state. Oh how that brat would laugh if he knew. Levi could just picture the smug smile, the teasing eyes. He considered calling Hanji again and telling her what had happened, but he wasn’t sure that he was ready to deal with her barrelling into his life right now.

Levi told himself that everything was okay, that it was a coincidence that he had run into Eren at all. And with that thought in mind, the tired raven went to bed, for once sleeping soundly.

 

If Levi thought it was going to be as simple as that, he couldn’t have been more wrong.

Not two days later, while the raven was out taking a walk around noon, he ran into the brat again. It was a Thursday and Levi had yet to get around to doing any actual work. He had dug out his camera and tripod but that had been as far as he had gotten. As Thursday rolled around he’d gotten up, showered and decided that it would be a decent day to go jogging. So there he was dressed in dark sweats, sneakers and a black pullover hoodie. Levi had decided against a shirt, thinking that it would get too hot. Just when he thought the day was turning out alright…lo and behold, the brat.

It seemed that the kid was enjoying the sun, sitting cross-legged on a short stone wall that separated the street from an outdoor café and sipping on some kind of blue slushy. Still not quite believing that he could run into such a character _again_ , Levi walked over. It wasn’t that he wanted to exactly…more like his legs started moving and he was too shocked to notice until he was staring down at a head of messy brown hair.

It was Eren alright. He was reading some comic; the colourful book sat open in his lap. The brunette didn’t seem to notice him for a moment, too engrossed in his the bright images of what looked like a clown being beaten up by some superhero wannabe. Finally sensing that something was out of place, Eren glanced up. Eyes that seemed more blue than green in the shade of Levi’s shadow flickered up curiously at the shape that had stopped before him and almost flickered back down again. But recognition sunk in and left the boy staring, shocked, eyes wide and straw between parted lips, up at a scowling Levi.

A moment passed, long and silent, as the two continued to stare at each other. The straw slipped from the brunette’s mouth as a slow smile curved his lips. At last, Eren laughed quietly, looking down and shaking his head in disbelief.

“Three times in six days?” The boy eyes flicked back up as he flipped the comic shut and his voice took on a playful tone. “You’re not stalking me, are you?”

“I was just thinking the same.”

“Really?” Eren perked up further, straightening. “Does that give us common ground?”

“Tch. No.” Levi denied immediately, still scowling. “Your social skills still suck.” He replied, tone clipped, before opening his mouth again. “And tone it down with the flirting before I get romantic whiplash.”

The brunette just shrugged, apparently not at all affected by the raven’s surly demeanour. “I’m nothing if not honest about my feelings.” He said honestly before a sly smile crept over his lips. “What about you? You’re _sure_ you’re not following me?”

Levi stared, unimpressed. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m just unlucky as fuck this week.”

That comment finally got a reaction other than flirting out of Eren.

The boy’s shoulders slumped a little and he pouted. “That’s not very nice. I think you’ll find I’m quite reasonable company.”

The raven stared on, face unchanging and completely unconvinced. After a moment of silence, Eren leant to catch the straw in his mouth again, purposefully taking a long, loud slurp of the icy blue mush before nodding to himself in a cumbersome fashion.

“Soooooooooo…” he began, drawing out the word, “ _now_ will you buy me lunch?”

The hopeful tone was back; Eren’s eyes slowly widened in eagerness as he awaited the raven’s reply. The damned brat was practically bouncing where he sat.

Levi paused, thinking long and hard about the question. Of course it still seemed as ridiculous as it had the first time the brat had asked him, especially after everything the raven may or may not have witnessed…but apparently the universe just wouldn’t let them get away from each other. Levi would be lying if he said he didn’t have any questions to ask the kid. The brat probably had a few of his own, too. Maybe if they sat down and talked, they could both walk away from this and continue with their lives? It was worth a shot, right?

I must be crazy, Levi thought to himself. With a short sigh, the raven glanced away, scratching idly at the shorter hair of his undercut as he spoke.

“Sure, brat. Third time’s the charm, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is 100% un-beta'd. I'm sorry! D: If you notice any glaring errors, PLEASE LET ME KNOW and I'll fix it.  
> A big thank you to everyone who stopped by to read this! You are all darlings!


	3. Clear As Mud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so as promised in the tags, this chapter contains random fluff out of nowhere. Seriously, I have no idea where it comes from, it just happens and I roll with it. So yeah…enjoy that. Also cake, questions and quite a bit of frustrated Levi because Eren is a little shit. Who would have guessed?

“In a mad world, only the mad are sane.” – Akira Kurosawa.  
***

This was a terrible idea.

Levi watched an excitable Eren over the rim of his double espresso. The pair currently sat inside a French style café after Eren had spent far too long than was tolerable trying to decide where they should go. The boy had been all too happy to let Levi steer him towards the homey looking building nestled into a street corner amidst several other restaurants. They had chosen a table near the window, far over in one corner so as to be out of earshot of the other customers. Eren was dressed casually enough and once Levi pushed his hood back he didn’t look so suspicious either. It was a good cover; they looked like two friends meeting up, simple. Or at worst, potential dates. Grimacing at the thought, Levi decided that he could live with the smiles and the friendly stares he got from the staff who thought that he and the brunette were a couple just so long as he got some answers.

Despite his eagerness to have the raven-haired man take him to lunch, Eren hadn’t ordered a single thing thus far. The brat was too busy staring at everything and everyone he could see; the waiters, the customers, people passing by, fucking _birds_ for Christ’s sake. But perhaps the strangest thing so far was the way Eren would look at Levi. It was subtle and infrequent, just a glance here and there as he looked up from a menu or turned back from staring out the window, but what was unnerving was that the looks he was receiving were all too similar to the way a very hungry person with a sweet tooth might look at a slice of mud cake…and Levi didn’t like it one bit.

After a good fifteen minutes of total silence and absolutely no indication of the brat snapping out of his reverie, Levi gave into temptation and opened his mouth.

“Are you going to actually order something or should I just douse myself in chocolate sauce and sit on a platter?”

That granted Levi Eren’s full attention. Teal eyes shot over instantly, wide from the initial shock of the raven’s words but contemplative in a way that told Levi he was very probably considering the idea. At last the boy gave a single chuckle.

“Would you?” He asked, honestly curious.

“No. It was a joke.” The raven deadpanned.

“I see.”

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“Order something?” Levi said in a way that sounded more like a question, flicking the menu back towards Eren. “That is why we came here.”

Eren picked up the laminated sheet, smiling to himself as he twirled the card in his hands.

“I thought we came here so you could interrogate me?”

Levi sat back in his chair, feeling a few warm rays of afternoon sunshine warming through his clothes.

“No. We came here to talk.” He corrected matter-of-factly, crossing his arms over his chest. “That means the questions can go both ways, brat. But you said you wanted food.”

Eren made a face as he read over the selection, looking displeased with the fancy font. “This isn’t really the kind of food I usually go for.”

The raven-haired man scoffed, staring at the brunette as blankly as he could. “Really? I would never have guessed that.”

Eren looked up from the menu at those words, glancing over at Levi. His features twisted a little with confusion as he eyed the other male, squinting a little as if in concentration.

“Sarcasm.” Levi muttered by means of an explanation.

A look of understanding crossed the brunette’s face and he nodded.

“Right.”

“Brat.” Levi muttered, shaking his head at the kid as he pushed the menu away.

“I don’t really know what to get, none of this is familiar.”

Eren spoke like an adult but acted quite similarly to a child. He was almost painfully honest, he said whatever he was thinking and he made no effort to sugar coat things. He also seemed stubborn and prone to acting on his emotions, very much like a child would. So Levi did the only thing he could think of to counter that…he acted like a parent.

“Shall I pick something for you?”

Eren looked up with a grateful smile, nodding. “Yes please. I’d like that.”

And there ended Levi’s attempt at parenting. Not that it hadn’t worked like a charm; he just couldn’t figure Eren out.

“Stop looking at me like that.” Levi said, stretching in his seat.

He didn’t fail to notice the way the brat’s eyes followed after each movement, almost like he was being studied.

“Like what?” Eren asked, playing dumb.

The raven’s eyes narrowed a little as he rolled his left shoulder a few times to loosen the muscle where it had become tense. “Just stop with all the dreamy little smiles and shit. It’s giving me creepy date vibes.”

He should have predicted the way Eren perked up at the word, eyes immediately brighter with keen interest.

“Is this a date?” he asked, tone filling with excitement.

“No.” Levi waved a finger at him sternly. “No, don’t even think about it.”

And of course, the boy slumped back into his chair looking very much the picture of disappointment.

“Aw. Don’t get my hopes up like that.” He complained, letting his head fall back against the chair to stare at the ceiling.

“Shut up.” Levi shushed him with a wave as a waitress started to head over.

“Hello, Sirs,” she greeted with a friendly smile as she reached their table, “my name is Charlotte and I’ll be serving you today.”

“Hello, Charlotte.” Eren greeted, smiling warmly from where he sat. “How are you?”

The girl blushed a little, smiling back. “Hello, Sir. I’m well, thank you.” She replied before looking to Levi. “Your friend is…nice.”

Levi scoffed. “Oh yeah, he’s a real charmer.”

“Unlike someone-hey!” Eren complained as he was kicked sharply under the table, a direct hit right in the shin.

He whined at Levi who looked on completely unaffected, murmuring something about comeuppances under his breath and smirking when a still indignant Eren started tugging on his sleeve as he protested.

Charlotte seemed to find the whole exchange incredibly amusing, looking between the two of them as she asked, “Do you know what you’d like to order?”

Levi glanced back over, reassigning his attention to the waitress instead of the whining Eren, much to the brunette’s frustration. “Yes. I’ll have a slice of the crepe cake with coffee cream and hazelnut praline and he’ll have…the pain au chocolat.” The raven stated, handing over the menu.

Charlotte nodded, tucking the menu under one arm and scribbling away on her notepad. “Uh-huh. And will either of you gentlemen be purchasing any drinks with that?”

“Sure. I’ll have another espresso and…Eren, what do you want?”

At the mention of his name, Eren abandoned his aching leg and leaned forward on his elbows, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Um…….”

If Levi wasn’t so concerned about him, it might almost have been cute.

The raven rolled his eyes at the brat’s drawn out ‘um’, turning back to the waitress again with a droll, “He’ll have a hot chocolate.”

The brunette sunk back in his chair, sulking over being denied the chance to choose his own beverage.

The girl giggled a little at the comment, writing down the last of their order. “Of course. It shouldn’t be long.”

Eren squinted suspiciously over at Levi as the waitress left; waiting until the smaller male looked at him before speaking.

“I feel like I’ve just been insulted…” he started, frowning a little, “…but I’m not sure how.”

Levi smirked, shifting in his chair. “I bought you a children’s drink, you twit.”

“Oh.” The boy said, thinking on that for a moment before shrugging. “Could’ve been worse.”

The raven cocked an eyebrow at him. “Well aren’t you the little optimist?”

Eren simply smiled at him and Levi shook his head. How could one person go from being spine-tingling creepy to adorable as a box full of kittens so sporadically? It was starting to give him a headache.

Rubbing his temple, Levi sat forward. “Anyway, we did come here to talk. So…shall I start?”

“By all means.” Eren conceded with a little wave of his hand.

Right then. There they were and the possible murderer had given him carte blanche to ask whatever came into his mind. Well, first thing’s first, he may as well be blunt.

“Did you kill that person in the alley?” The raven asked slowly, articulating each word so that there could be no misunderstanding.

Eren smirked, sitting back in his seat and inspecting his nails. “Are you really sure you want to know the answer to that? Absolutely sure?”

Levi remained unmoving, eyes narrowing a little at the brat’s cockiness. “I wouldn’t have fucking asked if I wasn’t sure.”

“Yes.” Eren answered suddenly, without so much as a pause after Levi’s words. “I killed them. Do you feel better for knowing?”

Not having expected the answer to come so quickly, or so calmly even, Levi leaned back a little. The admission was right there, swimming in his ears, and yet he still couldn’t quite bring himself to believe it. Why would he do it? There had to be a reason.  
Recovering just barely from the first shock, the raven moved on with a slow inhale through his nose before voicing his next query. “If you killed them…why didn’t you just move on? Why linger and risk being caught?”

“That…” Eren paused as the waitress returned with their order, smiling and passing on his thanks. Only after they were alone again did he continue. “That is another matter entirely.” The boy murmured, taking up a spoon and digging it into the chocolate filled pastry before him and smiling again suddenly. “Okay, my turn.” He announced, popping the spoon into his mouth.

Levi blinked at him, still processing. “What?”

“It’s my turn to ask something.”

“But you-”

“Uh-uh…” The brunette cut him off, waving a finger back and forth as his smile turned playful. “Wait your turn, we can get to whatever you want to ask in good time but I have questions too, remember?”

“Ugh, fine. Ask me. But don’t talk with your mouth full, it’s gross.”

In a true display of childishness, Eren opened his mouth to show Levi the half chewed food.

Levi grimaced, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the boy sitting opposite him. “Brat.”

Grinning, Eren closed his mouth and swallowed. “Excellent. Okay, so, what do you do?”

The question didn’t compute for a moment and Levi was left blinking at Eren in confusion.

“Huh?”

“Your job.” The brunette clarified, scooping out another portion of his food. “What is it?”

“Why does that matter?”

“It matters because I’ve run into you three times now and it hasn’t even been a whole week. Naturally I’m suspicious.” Eren stated simply, looking at his plate as he stabbed idly at the pastry. “This is really nice, by the way. Thank you.”

All of Eren’s questions were taking the raven off guard, they didn’t make any sense. Why would the brat need to know what he did for a living? Unless he thought that maybe Levi was a cop.

“Why would knowing my job make you less suspicious?”

“It just will.” The boy said, smile gone for once. “Now stop stalling.”

Sitting back in his chair, Levi folded his arms.

“Listen, brat. Think about this from my perspective…I don’t know you either. I saw you kill a guy and now I run into you twice?” He shook his head slowly. “That’s not exactly reassuring. And now here you are asking about my life, what I do, and I’ve got to wonder…why?”

Levi expected some kind of rebuttal, some form of argument from the kid, but Eren simply nodded and pursed his lips. “Fair enough.”

It was surprising, but Levi gave a nod of appreciation at the comment, lifting his cup and taking a sip. The liquid was still hot, but cool enough not to burn. And then-

“You’re not a priest, are you?”

The raven choked and nearly spat out his coffee as he snorted at the idea. One hand came up quickly to cover his mouth and he swallowed, coughing out a short laugh as looked up at a curious Eren.

“Something funny?” The boy enquired, twirling his spoon.

“Yeah,” The raven coughed, clearing his throat, “the idea that you could even consider me being a priest. That’s priceless!”

“You never know.”

“Ha. Good one.”

“So you’re not?”

“Christ no. I teach martial arts.”

“Oh.” The answer and the honesty behind it seemed to surprise Eren, but a little pleased smile crept over his face shortly after the shock passed. “Well then, that’s alright.”

Though he was still confused, Levi managed to smirk at the boy. “Does that check out, or are you still suspicious?” He asked, taking another swig of his coffee.

“No. That checks out just fine.”

The next roll of the raven’s eyes was less a sign of annoyance as it was of acceptance as he searched for another question. The brat already knew about his work, he might as well ask the same.

“So what do you do then?” Levi enquired in a neutral tone, perching his chin atop of his palm and leaning his elbow on the table.

“Me?” The kid looked taken aback again before shrugging and glancing off out the window again. “I don’t really have a job here.”

“Figures.”

“Hey, don’t be mean.”

Now it was Levi’s turn to shrug. “I’m always mean, brat. It’s just the way I am. Get used to it or get lost.”

Something close to approval flashed in Eren’s eyes at the raven’s words. “So feisty. I like it.” The boy smiled lazily, blowing him a kiss.

“Cut that out before I rip your tongue out.” Levi muttered harshly across the table.

“Feisty _and_ kinky?” The brunette gave a low whistle, eyes dancing in silent laughter. “I’ve hit the jackpot.”

“Just shut up. Are we talking or are we flirting?”

“Why can’t we do both?”

“Because it’s fucking distracting, that’s why.” The raven snapped, rubbing at his temple again. “Pick one.”

“I can’t. It’s who I am.” Eren shot right back, ever the smug smiling bastard. “If I have to accept you being a mean old sourpuss then you’ll just have to deal with me flirting. So there.”

Levi let out a longsuffering sigh, holding his head in his hands. It was pointless trying to argue with this kid. Stupid as he seemed at times, he was clever enough to use Levi’s own words against him. It wasn’t worth the headache.

“Whatever,” he sighed, still not looking up, “can I ask my question now or do you have some cheesy comment to make about my eyes or some shit?”

A quiet little chuckle carried across the table. “No, carry on.” A pause. “They are lovely, though.”

This time Levi did raise his head, looking at the boy in clear befuddlement. “What?”

“Your eyes.”

“Fucking-” the raven-haired man started before cutting himself off and grabbing a fork. He held it up in front of Eren’s face. “I will stab you with this.”

“Very kinky.”

“No, no, we’re not going there. Shut up and answer my question.”

“How can I answer if I have to shut up?”

“If you think I won’t strangle you, you’re wrong.”

“Now who’s the scary one?”

Levi was silent for a long moment, glaring hard at Eren. He could feel his forehead throbbing, this time out of anger rather than his perpetual headache, and he breathed slower to force himself to calm down. Anger would get him nowhere, he needed to be calm and rational.

When he was certain that he wouldn’t tear the brat’s head off, he asked his question. “Why were you in that alley?”

The boy had been honest and open until that moment. Now he fell silent, fiddling with his spoon and spinning it on the table. Eren seemed to be thinking, perhaps considering how to answer the question. Or maybe he was stalling for enough time to think his way out of answering. Levi’s scowl returned as time dragged on and still nothing.

He was ready to get up and shake it out of the kid if he didn’t speak up, but then Eren’s blue-green eyes flickered up again and he sighed. It was a nervous sound and that made Levi sit up a little straighter.

“Well?” The raven prompted, waiting. “I don’t have all day.”

He did, in fact, have all day but Eren didn’t need to know that.

The brunette stopped his twirling, leaving the spoon to slowly spin to a stop on its own as he opened his mouth to speak. “I’ll tell you…but I want you to promise that you won’t freak out on me.”

That definitely wasn’t the response the raven had been expecting. He raised both eyebrows at the kid as he drew out his silence a little longer, just enough to make Eren squirm, before replying.

“Gee, that makes me feel better about the answer.” Levi drawled, pokerfaced.

The boy frowned, for once appearing completely serious. “Promise.”

The raven scoffed at the word. “What are you, five?”

There was no joking this time, it seemed, as Eren fixed the raven with a look that was almost stern. “Whatever you’re expecting me to say, it isn’t going to be coated in rainbows. It’s going to be heavy.”

“Fine, fine, I fucking promise.”

“Okay.” The brunette sucked in a deep breath and let it out again before he spoke. “I was in that alley because I needed a secluded place to feed.”

Teal eyes watched Levi closely the whole time, through each word that left Eren’s lips and each second of the silence that stretched after he finished. The tense quiet made every other sound in the café seem to echo, each clink of cutlery, every little laugh or cough. The raven supposed through his state of numbed shock that his apathetic expression probably wasn’t a very comforting response…but the weight of Eren’s words hung heavily in the space between them.

“…what?” Levi managed, his own voice sounding odd in his ears.

The boy held up his hands just above the table, as if he were trying to pacify the other man. “You asked, I told you.”

Levi wasn’t having any of that. So many new questions were buzzing about in his head and it proved too much to keep all of them inside.

“Feed? What? _What?_ You _ate_ that person?”

“Hush.” Eren commanded suddenly, voice low and tone uncompromising and Levi sat back, rigidly still.

The boy glanced around in a casual manner to be sure that nobody had caught wind of their conversation before leaning a little closer across the table.

“Yes. I was feeding.” He stated again to reinforce the words. “If you want to know what that means…well, this isn’t exactly the place to talk about things of that nature. So unless you’re comfortable heading somewhere more private…I can’t explain.”

“This can’t be right. This has to be some kind of joke.”

“There is nothing funny about this. I can prove it to you…if you want?”

“How?”

“I can’t just tell you. That would ruin the surprise.”

“And I can’t just trust you without some idea of whatever the fuck you’re going to do. I’m curious, not stupid.”

Eren’s smile returned, but this time it was almost sincere, honest, as he let slip a soft chuckle.

“I like you.”

“What the fuck?”

A confused frown. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Uh… _yes_.”

“I was being honest.” Eren murmured, brow furrowed as he tried to discern why the raven was upset.

“You can’t just say that…admit to murder and then flirt!”

“Calm down.”

“ _Calm down?_ ”

“Yes.” Eren said, his voice once again taking on the strange tone of authority it had when he was being serious. “We’re just talking; there are people all around you. You are safe.”

Levi sat back, looking around quickly as he hissed under his breath. “Why would you even bring up something like that?”

“Because you’re looking at me like I’m holding a knife.” The brunette said bluntly and Levi had to agree the kid was probably right. “You’re as safe as you want to be. I won’t hurt you here.”

Grey eyes rolled and Levi groaned. “You suck at comforting, you know that?”

The boy hummed his amusement, glancing down. “You keep reminding me, yes. But I’ve already told you…I haven’t done this before.”

“What does that even _mean_? You haven’t done this before? What haven’t you done? Explain-”

“Shhh…” Eren hushed him yet again and the raven bristled at being cut off. Eren only laughed at him. “I will explain, but first…feed me something.”

“ _What?_ ” Levi gawked at him in disbelief. “No, why the fuck would I-”

“Because you’re drawing too much attention and we need to look less suspicious.” The boy smiled slyly, shifting forward a little in his chair. “So stop hissing at me and feed me something. Do try not to scowl; we need this to look convincing.”

Grimacing anyway, Levi snatched up his spoon and scooped out a portion of the cake, holding it up in front of Eren’s face. The brunette smiled lazily, leaning forward and sliding his mouth over the spoon, dragging the cake off the metal with his teeth.

“Wonderful. Was that so hard?”

“Tch.”

“Oh, don’t be like that. Wow, you should try some of that. It’s good.”

“Well I can’t now, can I?”

“Hmm? Why not?”

“Because I’ve got your shitty germs all over my spoon.”

The brunette scoffed at that. “I’m not infected with anything, geez.”

“I’ll take your word for it, shall I?”

“Just use your fork.” Eren suggested, reaching over to push the form towards Levi.

The raven smacked at his hand. “Back the fuck away from my cutlery. Stop fussing over me and get back to explaining yourself, brat.”

“Okay, okay, you did good. I’ll talk.” Eren managed through chuckles, taking his sweet time to chew the rest of the cake and swallow. “When I say I’m not used to…things, it’s because I’m not from around here. Think of me as a foreigner. I’m learning your ways, trying to blend in, but it’s…tricky. I have very little knowledge of your race’s social structure and so interacting doesn’t always go smoothly. You might have noticed.”

Levi gave a dry chuckle. “Yeah.”

Eren shot him a look but let the comment slide. “So I’m trying to learn.”

“What do you mean by…not from here?” The raven pushed further, frowning a little as he pieced things together. “Does it have anything to do with why you killed that guy? And why you were…”

“Eating him? Yeah, the three things are what you might call connected.” Eren smirked, reaching over and scooping out some more of Levi’s cake with his own spoon. “You catch on quickly.”

“I always have.” Levi glared after Eren’s retreating hand, noticing the shit eating grin on the boy’s face.

“Good. I like a man who can connect the dots.”

Eren paused as Levi shook his head slowly.

“What?” The boy paused, tilting his head. “Is something the matter?”

“You really have no boundaries, do you?” He muttered, gesturing to the stolen food. “It’s pretty jarring having you scaring the pants of me one second and then the next your all smiles and flirty comments. Weird.” The raven shook his head again, stabbing his cake with the fork that was still clean.

Eren observed Levi carefully. “Something tells me you don’t mind it as much as you say.” He murmured after a moment. “Or maybe…you don’t mind it as much as you want to? As much as you think you should? Am I right?”

Levi paused, fork halfway to his mouth, and nodded. “That makes sense. I haven’t really flirted with anyone since high school.”

Eren gasped, looking appalled. “Why not?”

The raven rolled one shoulder lazily in a shrug, wincing a little when the motion tweaked at a stiff muscle. He swallowed his mouthful and exhaled. “Too focused on education, on survival.” Levi answered, rubbing at his shoulder.

“That is a terrible shame.” Eren stated, putting a hand over his heart. “I’d like to correct that error.”

The raven-haired man gave a short chuckle at that, working through his food a little quicker. “What are you suggesting?”

“Can I keep you?”

Levi choked on his mouthful of food, glaring at a beaming Eren until he could finally speak again.

“You can’t just…say things like that.” He rasped, rubbing his throat as he coughed a little.

“Why not?” The brunette enquired with a curious tilt of his head as he watched Levi take a long gulp of his cooling coffee.

“Because…it isn’t something that’s done. You don’t just pick out a person to take home like you do at a dog shelter.”

Eren let slip a dark chuckle, thoroughly amused with the thought. “Well, maybe you don’t. But you and I are very different.”

That comment made Levi stop and think. That kind of statement could mean several different things…and so far none of them seemed particularly promising. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Levi set down his cup and stared straight at Eren.

“… What are you?”

The boy’s next smile was very different from his previous ones. It was darker, still amused, but in a considerably different manner than the playful grins he’d had on before. 

“Now…now you’re asking the right kind of question.”

More approval in that voice, as playful as ever but in a way that made Levi’s skin prickle. Common sense told him to leave it alone but as always his curiosity was too strong to ignore.

“Are you going to tell me?” The raven asked.

Another chuckle followed by an amused hum as Eren tapped two fingers against his mouth, thinking.

“Maybe…” he smirked, eyes bright, “maybe I will. But if I do there can be only two options.” The brunette paused for effect, leaning forward. “Would you like to hear them?”

Levi nodded, way past common sense now.

Eren gave him a pleased smile, rubbing his hands together. “Very well. Option one: I tell you and you react to it well, in which case I keep you.” The boy paused again, giving Levi sufficient time to let his words sink in before continuing. “Option two: I tell you and you react…badly…in which case I cannot allow you to live.”

Levi had been expecting something of that ilk and therefore didn’t wait very long before asking, “Why not?”

Once again the brunette paused, choosing his words carefully. “Because it would threaten my presence here.”

Levi supposed that made sense, so he moved on to his next point of enquiry.

“What would happen if I didn’t take your news well? How would you-”

“You would suffer a similar fate to the man you saw in the alley on the day of our first encounter.”

Levi swallowed. “I see.”

Eren looked almost sympathetic as he waited for a moment to let the raven gather his thoughts.

“Still want to know?” The boy asked, sounding a little glum.

It was almost as though he thought that Levi would say no. But after everything that had happened already, how could he go home now without asking?

Drawing in a breath, Levi shrugged wearily. “Sure.” He said, giving a single, dry chuckle. “I’ve only got everything to lose.”

The boy perked up again. “I like those odds.”

Of course he would say something like that, Levi thought and let his eyes roll again. “Clearly you’re a gambling man. Or a gambling…something.”

Eren grinned. “Now you’re getting it.”

“So are you going to tell me or?”

“Hmm…” The boy hummed, looking giddy again as he rocked back and forth a little in his chair. “I don’t think I’ll tell you just yet…I like your company and it would be a terrible waste if you don’t deal well with what I have to say.”

Levi should have known the little shit would leave him hanging like that but somehow he couldn’t muster up anything more than a bored stare.

“So…what now?” The raven asked, glancing at his watch.

It was just past 2:00pm. Eren followed his glance.

“Need to be somewhere?”

“Not at all.”

“Perfect. Let’s continue then, shall we?” Eren suggested, looking at Levi like that was the best idea in the world. “The sky is still light and you haven’t finished your food yet. It’s far too early leave already.”

Levi stared at the boy, dubiousness written clearly on his face. “You want to turn this into an actual date? Are you serious?”

Eren flashed him a sly smile. “I’m deadly serious.”

“Don’t say it like that.” The raven muttered, screwing up his nose at the phrase. “It makes me think you’re going to cut my throat with a fork or something.”

Eren laughed of all things, a light-hearted bubbly laugh that Levi had to admit wasn’t such a terrible sound.

“Throat cutting isn’t really my style.” The boy admitted as his giggling subsided, covering his mouth with a hand to hide his snickering.

“Oh, you have a style?” Levi asked, not at all surprised as he scooped up a bite sized portion of his cake. “Charming.”

“Of course I do.” Eren said as if that fact should have been obvious. “Every creature has its own pattern of killing-”

“Do we really have to talk about this if we’re going to be eating?” Levi grumbled, stealing a bit of Eren’s pastry much to the brat’s delight if his near-glowing level of happiness was any indication.

“Aw, poor thing, do you get queasy?” The brunette teased, far too pleased for Levi’s liking.

“Fuck you. I don’t get queasy,” he defended, waving his fork at Eren, “but I still don’t want to be talking about the perfect way to kill something while have food in my mouth if you don’t mind.”

“Fine,” Eren relented, starting to get back that dreamy smile again, “we can talk about other things if you want.”

“As long as it’s not about killing, I’m fine with whatever pops into that warped little mind of yours.” Levi muttered, twirling his fork once before stabbing another piece of the cake.

Eren chuckled, eyeing the utensil in the raven’s hand. “How about I tell you that you have a similar appeal to me as your favourite food would have on you?”

Levi paused with the forkful of food almost inside his mouth, staring at Eren like he was crazy. Eyes narrowing, he clamped his teeth down and dragged to morsel off the fork, teeth on metal causing a dull ringing that didn’t carry far past their table.

Eren huffed out a soft laugh. “It’s a little different, but that’s a fairly accurate way of describing it I guess.”

Levi shook his head as he chewed, waving his free hand. “Pick something else.”

“Why?” The brunette asked with a little frown.

The raven swallowed, wincing as the food was forced down. “Because that was just fucking creepy.” He rasped, glaring. “You need to talk about something a little less depressing than killing people and a little less forward than…whatever that just was.”

Eren huffed and sat back, folding his arms atop his chest, not unlike a sulking child. “You’re not making this easy. There are only so many things I can talk about that won’t bore you or freak you out.”

“Fucking hell,” Levi groaned, running his free hand through his hair, “should I pick something then?”

“Sure, unless you want to divert back to flirting.”

“You’re ridiculous.” The raven stated, stabbing the last bit of cake and pausing for a moment before holding it out towards Eren. The boy shot forward eagerly, accepting the gift as Levi inclined his head to one side. “One moment you’re threatening to kill me and the next you compare me to food.” Shaking his head, Levi drew the fork back. “I’m going to get emotional whiplash or something.”

“I thought we agreed already that I wasn’t going to kill you.” Eren complained around his mouthful of food, ignoring the death glare it earned. “Not yet.”

“It’s the ‘not yet’ part that has me on edge.” Levi drawled, leaning his head on his hand again.

“Poor baby,” Eren’s voice took on a teasing tone as he finished pulling apart his own food, “nervous around the new kid on the block.”

“The new kid with a habit for murder.” The raven muttered in correction.

“Touché.”

Levi regarded the boy as he ate, narrowing his eyes whenever the brat purposefully made a show of licking his fingers. The raven moved his free hand up to the table, drumming his own fingers against the table top.

“I’d rather not be killed just yet.” He found himself voicing aloud without really knowing why. “I have a few good years still in me.”

“I don’t doubt it.” The boy murmured, voice ringing with what sounded like praise as teal eyes travelled over his body.

“Stop that.”

“Why?” Blue-green eyes challenged, smirking. “Does it make you uncomfortable?”

“Gee, let me think about that for a second. Yes.”

“Why?” Eren asked again, voice sounding genuinely confused this time. “You look pretty spry, what could you have to be uncomfortable about?”

The raven stared. “Maybe because you look like you’re fucking ten.”

“Thanks, I think?”

“Not a compliment.”

“Ha. How old are you, anyway?”

“Not ten.”

“Right.” Eren smirked at that. “So therefore..?”

“Therefore it would be weird to think of any situation where the two of us…you know. Shut up, I’m eating.”

“No you’re-”

Eren paused as Levi reached across, snatched up the last piece of Eren’s pastry and popped it into his mouth, raising an eyebrow in challenge as he chewed. The brunette shook his head, smiling at the other man’s antics.

“I don’t think it would be weird.” Eren continued, still smiling although his happy smile slowly grew more playful. “I think it would be fun.”

“Don’t go there.” Levi muttered, swallowing. “Not if you’re going to send me to an early grave.”

“You never know…we could still have a little fun before you go.”

“You’re impossible.”

Eren hummed his amusement, leaning his elbows on the table and swinging his legs under his chair.

Levi stared at him unblinking. “I saw you eat a guy…there’s no way I’m letting you anywhere near me in any less clothes than this.” He reached over, flicking the kid’s forehead lightly. “No chance in hell.”

“Interesting choice of words.” Eren murmured, giving a pleased hum as his eyes roved over the raven-haired man before him.

Intrigued teal eyes took a moment to pause at the place where Levi’s jumper left his neck and shoulders bare, tracing along the prominent collar bones to a spot where a few lines of dark colour could be seen just barely along the shoulder. Before he could focus any further, the boy noticed the other male’s glare.

“Not going to happen.” Levi assured him, sitting back.

Eren pouted across the table at him. “That’s not fair,” he whined gently, tracing some pattern against the tablecloth, “I might behave.”

“Might? That’s not very reassuring.”

The brunette sent Levi a lazy glance, blowing a raspberry in his direction. “Just think about it.” He murmured, teal eyes imploring him to consider. “If you knew it was going to be the last thing you did, you wouldn’t hold back. Wild passion, total, reckless abandon…what a way to go.”

The raven blinked at him for a moment.

“You’re insane.”

The brunette chuckled. “Insanity is a matter of perspective.” He murmured, twisting his cup around until the logo was facing Levi. “Anyway, it’s my turn to ask something.”

“Fine. Go ahead.” Levi conceded with a wave.

A pleased smile as Eren’s eyes dropped a little lower than the raven’s face and he pointed.

“What are those marks on your shoulders?”

Levi glanced down, noticing the marks Eren was referring to.

“Tattoos.” He replied, looking back across at the brunette.

Eren raised an eyebrow. “Can I see them?”

“Not here.” The raven answered with a single shake of his head. “They’re kind of extensive and it would attract more bad attention than good.”

“Some other time, then?”

“Maybe, brat.”

The rest of their ‘so called’ date (yes, Eren insisted that it had, in fact, been a date) went by relatively smoothly. They ordered a slice of cheesecake at Eren’s insistence and shared that. There were a few bumpy patches where Eren would stare a little too intently at Levi for his liking or when the brat stole some of his cake after directing the raven’s attention out of the window, but other than that…it was almost nice.

Oh yes, great one Levi. He had gone on a stupid date with a murderer and possibly a deranged psychopath and it had been kind of nice. There was definitely something wrong with him. Maybe he should let Hanji do a few scans of his brain and see if she could find anything out of place. The woman would have an absolute field day with that.

It felt almost wrong to be parting on good terms with this kid, without fearing for his life, but it happened nonetheless. As four o’clock rolled around the pair left the café, said their farewells and headed off on their own separate ways.

Levi stopped by in the park this time, pausing on his way home to watch the clear water rush its way over rocks as he thought over the day.

Once home, he showered immediately, instantly remembering the run he’d taken in the morning with a grimace. Once clean, he cooked up a simple dinner of soup and bread, packing the dishes into the dishwasher and wiping down the bench before readying himself for bed.

Laying there beneath white sheets, Levi thought about Eren. Judging by their conversation, the boy clearly wasn’t done with him. But they hadn’t established another day for talk or exchanged any details…so far all of their meetings had been by accident.  
Would he even run into Eren again? Had today been the last he would ever see those intriguing teal eyes? Those were the thoughts running through the raven’s mind as he drifted off, once more, into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! A proper length chapter at last! ^_^ Hopefully you guys enjoyed this. Leave me a comment to let me know how you feel or if you have any suggestions because I literally have NO IDEA where I’m going with this. I didn’t even know I was going to write this last week and now I’m writing a chapter every day or two. It’s intense but I like it. So if you have anything you’d like to see, please tell me and I’ll see what I can do! Also, next chapter will probably be from Eren's POV so look forward to that :)


	4. What A Wonderful World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Argh this took way longer than I’d hoped. Stupid internet being stupid plus Christmas shopping plus university applications and what not equals very bad news for a writer :( But anyway, enough ranting, here’s a mini-chapter from Eren’s POV that should tide you guys over until I feel better about chapter five.  
> Its current state is…questionable. But it should be up soon as long as I don’t get distracted!!  
> Enjoy!

“In order to take a realm, one must first know it's workings inside and out.” – Unknown.

***

 

 

Birds are such obnoxious creatures…especially at half-nine in the morning.

It was bright, too bright and far too warm for the brown-haired boy to maintain any state of sleep for long. Especially not after rolling out of the tree-house he’d been sleeping in. Gravity was, and always would be, a ruthless bitch.

Eren flopped to the ground with a thud and an ‘oof’ which probably would have looked hilarious had anyone been watching. However, on a Friday, the owners of the house were at work by now and the kids, if they had any, would be at school.

The brunette groaned as he rolled onto his back, scrunching his eyes up to block out the sun as he stretched himself awake. He sat up, glaring up at the tree for a moment when a loud barking sounded. Taking that as his cue to hightail it out of there, Eren did just that, swinging over the nearest fence and walking down an overgrown side path until he reached the main road.

The suburb he had chosen to stay in was nice; quiet enough to be free of prowling Police Officers and safe enough that he didn’t have to worry about being jumped if he felt the urge to wander about during the night.

Nobody took notice of the boy as he passed by, not even a glance. Eren fit in well with his pleasant smile and the cheery little spring in each step. Even if people were to look at him and ask questions, there would be no reason to suspect him of anything. Casual clothes helped Eren blend in, a simple baseball-style shirt and some faded jeans complimented by white converse sneakers lent the lad a trustworthy and laid back aura. All nice garments, all stolen from the back of a supply truck outside one of the malls at midnight the night before last. When one had no money, one made do via alternate means.

Eren knew how to survive, whether that meant playing by the rules or not. That was the exact reason he had chosen this city in the first place. It was calm, mostly peaceful, maybe even boring with its mundane routines and simple little citizens going about their daily lives the same way day in and day out. Such an unsuspecting place, it was somewhere Eren could thrive.

Today, the brunette thought to himself, was the perfect day to spend scoping out the neighbourhood. He had been there in that same spot for a while now; he might as well get to know the location a little better. One could never know a place too well, especially when memorising every little nook, cranny and escape route that could just save your life…or end someone else’s.

Eren breathed in the morning air deeply, relishing the dull burn the chill caused in his lungs. It had been a long time since the brunette had gotten the chance to travel somewhere new, let alone explore at his leisure, and the day was already so inviting. The air was fresh, pleasantly cool on his face, the sky stretched forever above him, a pale blue that would brighten as the day progressed, and the morning sun shone warm on his back, the heat eased by a gently blowing breeze.

Breakfast, Eren decided, was for wimps, and the boy wasted no time in skipping it. Instead, he headed straight off for a stroll around the suburb.

The area was a nice one, decent and full of friendly neighbours that said ‘hello’ an awful lot. All of that was fine, but there was one thing that the brunette took issue with…

So many dogs.

Eren had never been a fan of dogs, but that was probably because they weren’t very fond of him either. Dogs were often very good judges of character, like kids could be, and it was only a matter of time before the pesky creatures started to gain the attention of adults. Attention that Eren neither wanted, nor had time to deal with.

The boy grimaced to himself as he walked, knowing full well that he couldn’t solve this problem by outing every canine and toddler he saw, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t dream. He would have to find a quieter place to stay…one where there were no dogs, just cats. Cats he could handle, they weren’t so outwardly vicious unless provoked.

Eren wondered briefly if his human had a cat.

Yet another lapse in the brunette’s nearly endless supply of smiles occurred as he thought back to the petite male with the (frankly quite intriguing) black hair. Those fine locks parted just slightly off center, that face all sharp angles and harsh stares. Handsome definitely, but not conventionally so, and roguish; a lone wolf, a viper poised to strike…

An absolute catch.

Eren fondly referred to the male as ‘his human’ after realising, with no little amount of mortification, that he had no idea what the man’s name was. It was a tragic error that he hoped he would be able to remedy in the not too distant future.

Heading further into the city, the boy took in everything he could see as the housed area slowly morphed into businesses and larger buildings. The largest abundance of these shops was collected around the mall complex, a whole four blocks dedicated to clustered shops, stalls and businesses. A large sign reading ‘Sina Central Square’ stood out the front of every large entrance, the enormous golden letters near impossible to miss.

Eren liked this place. It was very easy to nab things here and there with very low risk of being caught if you were quick enough, and Eren was more than quick enough. This was how the brunette acquired all his things, food, clothes, shoes, money. Nothing ridiculous or expensive like jewellery, only ever essential items. Eren knew well and good that just because one could get away with something didn’t mean that one should do it anyway. He had nothing to prove and nothing to gain from it.

Standing in one of the courtyards inside the mall, Eren looked up and out of one of the giant squares of glass ceiling. The sun glared through a little, but if he squinted Eren could make out the shapes of high-rise buildings not too far off from where he was standing. He marvelled at the enormous structures that towered far above everything else. They were truly magnificent, an impressive feat for mankind. Nothing like what he was used to, of course, but impressive nonetheless.

Eren wandered about, learning the ins and outs of the mall as best he could while the sun climbed ever higher in the sky. At noon, he went for a walk outside the complex to get an idea of its perimeter. An hour later he was back inside. Eren spoke to as few people as he could manage; only asking questions when absolutely necessary. It wouldn’t do to have people or staff recognising him too easily.

This was his playground now, this was what he had to work with, and in the games he was involved in you could never be too careful.

Just as the centre clock chimed out three o’clock, Eren found himself heading back outside. The brunette was nearer to the end of the mall that merged with the inner city businesses and it was far more crowded there. Nice though, the more faces passing by meant the less careful Eren had to be.

He picked a spot on the stairs of a newsagency entrance to sit, opting to rest for a while.

Looking up, Eren scanned the surrounding area and took note of the buildings across the street. They were mostly trendy cafes, although Eren spotted a day-care building on the corner to his far left. He made a face at the horrendously bright colours that made no attempt at complimenting each other, the horrid splashes of red, green, orange and brown made his eyes hurt. Glancing the other way, the brunette identified what looked like a gym with an impressive set of steps and a big wooden door painted a rich green colour, and next to it on the right stood a bottle shop and a corner store.

Eren was fully prepared to glance away when a flash of green caught his eye. The big green doors had opened and several people filed out. Three dudes, two with questionable shades of blonde hair and the other a dark brunette, a tiny ginger-haired chick and another guy with black hair about the same height.

It was the mean look on the last male’s face that made Eren pause.

This was just too funny.

Eren had never crossed paths with someone as frequently as he had with the petite raven-haired who had caught him hunting. The same man he’d had coffee with yesterday…and the very same man that had just walked out of the gym.

No, not a gym…but something similar. Perhaps that was the place where his human taught…what had it been again? Facial art? No, it had sounded cooler than that. Eren would have spared more thought on the matter but the raven was walking away from the others…and heading along the same street as Eren. Thankfully they were on different sides of the street but Eren ducked into a store quickly regardless. Normally the brunette would have simply dashed across the street and tackled the man but today he had been presented with a unique opportunity. He knew that his human would probably be reluctant to give up details about his personal life and here Eren was with the perfect chance to find some out for himself. Slipping back out of the shop, the brunette ducked across the street with the next crowd of people. Consequences could be thought about later, for the moment Eren merely focused on staying a safe distance behind the raven as he walked.

The boy took a moment to appreciate the other man’s stride, strong and fast, each step held purpose. The man may be short but damn he was fast! Eren matched his own stride to keep pace. From his place amidst the sea of other faces, the brunette took in every detail he could.

The raven had a short stature but he was built in a way that was solid without being bulky. He looked kind of lean but Eren knew better than to let appearances speak for what was beneath the cover. Speaking of covers, the smaller male was particularly well dressed today. He wore a pair of dark slacks and an actual matching coat rather than a simple jumper. Apart from that and the quick flash of shiny black shoes, Eren couldn’t discern much more about the raven’s appearance.

As the other man paused to purchase and then eat some food in a small café, Eren pondered the manner of their meetings. They had been crossing each other’s paths quite frequently of late, not that Eren minded that in the slightest. He rather enjoyed the raven’s company, finding his snarky comments to be a wondrous source of entertainment. But that was also a part of the problem. Eren worried; this was the first time that he had bothered interacting with the other beings he came across and this dark-haired bag of sass had been the person he had spoken to most. Eren was already growing fond of the man far more rapidly than he was comfortable with, even despite the man’s generally grumpy nature and habit of insulting him. Eren wasn’t sure what he would do if this man, if his human, didn’t like what Eren was when he finally decided to reveal his identity.

What would the brunette do if his human didn’t understand? If he told him to go away? Eren would be left with no choice but to kill him. He could do it, that much was certain, but the longer he waited…the less he would want to.

Who was Eren kidding? He didn’t want to kill the man at all. Any desire of that ilk had long since passed. But why? What was it about this one person that made him different at all? What was it that drew Eren to him?

Once again the brunette’s train of thought veered off course as the raven appeared from the café again, now with a cardboard box tucked under his arm, and started walking in the same direction as before. Eren had to multitask in order to both keep an eye on his human and memorise details about the route they were taking. He was fairly certain he could make his way back to the mall from an intersection where the raven paused with a group of people, standing on the side of the road until the glowing circles above them switched between yellow to red and then green.

They turned right after making it across the road and it became more difficult to follow without being seen as the crowd of people thinned. He fell back a little ways, especially as they arrived at a park. Eren drew his hoodie up, hoping that it would serve to hide his face. He stared, fascinated, as the raven paused in the middle of a wooden bridge. The arcing structure curved over a narrow river that ran through the place, with clusters of trees and shrubs growing here and there along its banks. For a long while the raven did nothing at all other than stare down at the water, looking calmer than the brunette had ever seen him.

After that point there was another walking period that lasted only about ten minutes before they stopped again. Well, Eren stopped. But the raven-haired man went into a multi-storey building complex and Eren realised, with a sudden surge of excitement, that he had very probably just learned the location of his human’s home.

Oh the opportunities that presented themselves…

Eren would absolutely love to see the look on the other man’s face if he turned up on his doorstep. Then again, would it really be worth a shoe to the face?

The answer?

Yes. Yes it would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! Thank you to everyone who has left a comment and/or kudos! You guys make my day and inspire me to write quicker so thank you all a bunch!! Chapter five should be up much quicker than the last one, I will edit it, but it just feels weird to me at the mo…


	5. Honey, I'm Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so here it is. Finally edited into something vaguely presentable I hope. I changed my mind last minute and cut off the end, so this will be a little shorter than I’d planned. But not to worry, plot and such still happens!  
> Thanks to everyone who has left kudos or a comment so far! You all make my day!  
> And without further ado, enjoy!

“Distance not only gives nostalgia, but perspective, and maybe objectivity.” – Robert Morgan.

***

 

Shut up alarm clock.

Those arrogant blue block letters gleefully informed the raven-haired man for the third time that day that it was time to get up.

One rude awakening and three slaps of the snooze button later and the clock read 10:15AM.

Friday. Another day, another morning on which Levi had to decide what would be more beneficial in the long run; cleaning or walking down to the dojo to plan lessons with Mike. Without much preamble, the raven dragged himself out of bed. Cleaning could be done any day and he knew it. To work it would be.

Levi knew full well that he had spent enough time putting off the videos he was supposed to be making, or at least planning. He had to at least plan something today.

Breakfast consisted of eggs and toast, washed down with a cup of tea. Normally the raven would make coffee of a morning but it had been a good while since Levi had last bothered to go shopping and consequently the coffee beans had run out two days ago. It was a good thing he loved tea, then.

Washing the dishes took very little time and as they stood drying the raven took a shower. Riffling through his wardrobe, Levi decided on something a little more formal for today’s visit, considering that he wouldn’t be teaching. And since he wasn’t going to be involved in anything physical, he could also leave in his piercings for the day. Thank God.

Levi had several piercings, two studs and a tight loop in the upper helix of his right ear, a silver barbell in the shell of his left ear and a steel ball closure ring in his right eyebrow. He had two others but they weren’t really appropriate for public viewing but the raven didn’t regret them in the slightest, New Year’s Eve dare or not! He was proud of all of them. Unfortunately he had to take out the ear and facial piercings at work for health and safety reasons. It made sense; having one of them catch and tear would not be fun. But today the raven didn’t have to worry about any of that.

He fished out a pair of black slacks and decided against an actual button up shirt in favour of a white sweatshirt; he only needed to be a little formal after all. A black suit jacket and some shiny shoes with pointed toes completed the look.

Wallet and phone tucked safely in a pocket inside his jacket; Levi snatched up his keys and slipped out the door, locking it securely behind him. The raven exchanged his keys for his phone, long fingers typing in the number for his work as he strode along.

One ring. Two-

“ _Hello? Sina Dojo-_ ”

“Nifa, it’s Levi. Tell Mike I’m coming in.”

“ _Right away, Sir._ ”

No time was spared for river-gazing that morning. Levi was, after all, in somewhat of a hurry. The raven regretted promising to show up at work on a Friday at ten in the morning. It had seemed like such a promising idea at the time, now however Levi saw an obvious flaw in his otherwise brilliant plan.

Namely that setting one’s alarm clock to go off at the time one says they will be at work is not such a fool-proof idea after all. Who would have thought?

It was a nice enough day out, Levi supposed as he walked along. A little busy and far too bright. Maybe if he had been awake before nine then the light wouldn’t seem so harsh. As it was, Levi lifted a hand to shield his eyes, the silvery orbs darting around under the shade his palm provided. Much better.

The closer Levi came to his workplace, the more crowded the pavement became. The raven wondered if the locals were holding another market at Sina Square. The damned things were happening all the time and yet Levi had yet to attend one. He chalked it up to a combination of workplace responsibilities and his fatal flaw of never having enough fucks to give.

Not too long after that Levi was jogging up the steps of the dojo and shoving at the heavy green doors. A quick glance at his phone informed him that it was now 10:57 and he was late. Oh so awfully late.

Cursing under his breath, Levi walked briskly through the foyer, casting a passing ‘hello’ to Nifa as he went. The poor girl jumped about a foot in the air at the sight of him tearing through the doors. He was halfway past the desk before she had even looked up properly. By the time her stuttered ‘hello, Sir’ finally reached him, the raven was already through the door to the training rooms.

Mike was waiting for him in his office, a room better suited to be a broom cupboard than an actual office really. It was already small, but having the tallest goddamned person Levi knew sitting inside made it look even tinier.

Employer or not, the raven couldn’t hold back a snort at the sight.

“Why do I get the feeling that this will become my office if I ever get promoted?”

Probably not the best way to address one’s boss after arriving a whole hour later than previously discussed, but without moral high ground to fall back on all the raven had on his side was snark.

“I didn’t know you were looking for a promotion.” Mike said simply, eyes holding faint traces of amusement.

Both men knew exactly how ambitious the raven wasn’t. It was no secret.

Levi shrugged. “I’m not. Responsibility isn’t my thing, but I’m sure you noticed that years ago.” He said through a smirk before taking a seat. “I slept in.”

It wasn’t an apology, but both men knew it was as close as Levi would get to giving one only an hour after waking up. The blonde man made a small sound of acknowledgement and sat back, steepling his hands on the desk.

“You wanted to go over a few things?”

Straight to the point, as always. Levi maintained a great level of respect for the man and his ‘no bullshit’ nature. It provided a refreshing contrast against most modern folk.

The raven gave a short nod, arms folding loosely. “Yeah, but if you’re busy-”

“I have time.”

Levi stuck around for a good three hours getting his ideas together, mapping out routines he hadn’t demonstrated yet and even going over a few things that he had already taught which would still prove useful. Mike gave notes here and there, providing the constructive criticism that the raven-haired man needed. At two o’clock, Levi’s students came in and quickly abandoned their original plan to practice in favour of helping to come up with suggestions for their teacher.

The raven was greatly amused (even if his face didn’t show it) by the shock on the faces of his ‘squad’ at his attire. Petra was the first to notice and she seemed especially eager to compliment.

“Levi-san looks nice today.”

After that it became difficult to distinguish who was asking what as voices overlapped.

“Whoa, what’s with the fancy getup?”

“Are you going to an interview or something?”

“You’re not leaving us, are you?”

“No! Levi-san!”

“Maybe it’s a funeral?”

“Did someone die?”

“You’re not getting married, are you?”

That last one had to be his favourite.

As three o’clock drew near, the raven thought it was just about time to head home again. His ‘squad’ insisted on escorting him out as they too were leaving and so Levi emerged from the dojo with a miniature posse, listening to them chat amongst themselves.

“Make sure you keep practicing. Aurou, don’t let me catch you slacking. I’ll know if you’ve decided to be lazy. Petra, have you been working on your dodge?”

“Yes, Levi-san.”

“Good. What about you two, Erd? Gunther?”

“We’ve been practicing.”

“That’s good. You kids get going. Don’t get into any trouble.”

“Yes, Sir!”

Waving them off, Levi began the trek back home. It took about five minutes of walking for the raven to realise that he hadn’t eaten since breakfast and, consequently, was now starving. With a sigh, Levi guessed that today would be as good as any to stop by his favourite Italian café and see if he couldn’t convince the barista girl he knew there to let him buy some coffee beans.

It didn’t take too long weaving through the crowded sidewalk to spot the hanging sign of the familiar building. It was a pleasant little place, small but with friendly staff and really good coffee. Ducking around an elderly lady and her basket full of kittens, Levi pushed open the door to the café and was instantly greeted by the grinning barista.

“Back again, Mr Levi?” The cheerful brunette called across the room, tying her hair back into a messy ponytail.

Her voice was a little distorted, muffled by something in her mouth.

“Sasha.” The raven-haired man greeted in return, striding over to the counter.

The brunette leaned on an elbow, swallowing her mouthful and fishing out a biscuit from somewhere under the counter.

“Just the usual espresso?” She enquired, popping the whole biscuit into her mouth.

Levi resisted the urge to grimace. He was used to this behaviour and let it slide only because of Sasha’s wondrous trait of not bothering him with personal questions. Light banter was the raven’s forte and he felt comfortable around the barista, despite her disregard for hygiene at times.

“Actually I skipped lunch.” Levi said, watching the girl’s face contort with unconcealed horror.

If there was one thing that Sasha Braus was completely serious about, it was food. If all of the food in the world could be personified into one person, Sasha would surely marry them on the spot. Of this, the raven had no doubt.

“That’s awful!” Sasha gasped at his admission, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth. “Quick, sit down; I’ll go get you something before you pass out!”

Naturally, as Levi watched the girl go tearing out into the back kitchen shaking his head, he wasn’t surprised at her outburst.

Sasha was a friendly girl, if a little over-extroverted and far too excitable than was normal. She was a little taller than him with long brown hair that she usually kept tied back in a ponytail much like the one she was currently sporting. That, Levi decided, was a good thing. Better than good, it was great. Maybe even stupendous! If her hair was tied back, then it would have a much harder time falling into his food. It was one of few habits that Sasha observed which actually helped to keep Levi’s remarks concerning cleanliness at bay. While her near constant chattering could sometimes get on Levi’s nerves, she had a good heart.

The girl returned in record time with a sandwich and instantly began to make his drink, gossiping away as she did. Somewhere in the midst of her babbling, Levi managed to slip in a few words about their supply of coffee beans and not two minutes later Sasha was scampering off to get him a box.

The café bought their supplies in bulk, so one box from them would be both cheaper and last longer than anything from the supermarket. After finishing his food and downing the last of his drink, the raven thanked the excitable barista, said his farewell and departed.

He hadn’t even made it two steps outside when Levi suddenly picked up on an odd vibe, one he hadn’t felt walking home before. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what was off but something definitely felt weird. It didn’t last long as he continued towards home but good God, for a moment there the hairs on the back of his neck had stood up and he nearly shivered.

There were all sorts of people out and about that day, kids just out of school running about to get to the mall, college kids hanging around the retro cafés, rushing parents, constipated-looking businessmen, even grannies. Honestly, Levi had never seen so many grandmothers out at the same time in all his life. It was weird.

At last, the crowd began to thin and he did not have to sidestep as many people. He slowed his pace just a little, dropping from his determined stride to a more leisurely lope.

The raven indulged in pausing by the river for a long moment, watching the water and letting the soothing soundtrack of nature ease his nerves. The water was especially clear today, creating a pleasant soundtrack to his thoughts as the current cascaded over the rocks and pebbles below. Beneath the shade of the trees, the sun did not seem quite so hot and Levi closed his eyes for a few brief moments before he continued on home.

Upon reaching his apartment complex, the raven let out a little sigh. The day hadn’t exactly been physically taxing, but Levi felt drained nonetheless. He still jogged up the stairs, ignoring the elevator as he almost always did; cardboard box tucked securely under one arm. Levi managed to fish his keys out of his coat pocket without having to put down the box, counting that as a personal victory as he pushed open the door and stepped inside. The coffee beans were packed away into the pantry.

One shower later and Levi was sitting down to a proper lunch of homemade fried rice and satay beef. Not halfway through his meal, Levi was startled by a knock at the door.

Odd; Levi never had visitors.

He guessed that whoever it was had made a mistake and would fuck off quicker if he didn’t answer. Or maybe it was a salesperson, or even worse…a girl scout. Fuck no was Levi answering that door only to waste money on shitty cookies.

The raven resigned himself to his seat, fully prepared to pretend that he wasn’t home. That plan was thrown to the wind after a second knock occurred, this time a little louder, only a minute after the first.

“Who the fuck?” Levi grumbled to himself as he got up from the sofa, leaving his food on the coffee table and stomping over to the door.

He sincerely hoped whatever asshole was waiting on the other side could hear the moody footsteps. Maybe they would freak out and run away quicker. If not, then they had better well be prepared for the verbal assault of their life.

As a third round of knocking started up, Levi grabbed the door handle, wrenching the door back with a scowl that screamed ‘I have a knife’ and opening his mouth in a sneer.

“What the fuck do you-”

Levi choked to a stop as he found himself looking up at an all too familiar face…a face he hadn’t expected to see again so soon.

“Hello, Levi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! Cliff-hanger!  
> Take a guess at who you think is at the door. You might just be surprised.  
> I hope that this was okay :/ I’m so sorry for the stupid shorter chapters, hopefully they’ll be back to normal soon.  
> Also, is it Aurou or Auruo? That's been bugging me for ages!


	6. When We Were Young

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, new chapter. Hopefully no one will want to kill me after this. I’ve already been chased by my beta reader once today.

“From childhood’s hour I have not been. As others were, I have not seen. As others saw, I could not awaken. My heart to joy at the same tone. And all I loved, I loved alone.” – Edgar Allan Poe.

***

 

“Levi,” the familiar stranger gave a nod in greeting, a little smile tugging at the corner of their lips, “it’s good to see you again.”

The raven swallowed, finding his voice at last. “I wish I could say the same.”

“Harsh. And here I thought you’d be pleased to see me.”

“Where the fuck have you been, Erwin?”

The man in the doorway smiled at the harsh tone, giving a little tilt of his head as sharp blue eyes scrutinized the smaller male before him.

“Here and there.” The blonde replied before smirking. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Levi bit out, shock quickly morphing into anger. “You don’t up and disappear and then get to come back and sidestep me. Talk. Now.”

Erwin seemed to agree with those words; he knew that an explanation was in order. And still he had the hide to lean down a little closer. Just close enough to be invading Levi’s bubble of personal space.

“Can I come inside first?”

A single hard chuckle escaped Levi’s throat. It was a sceptical sound. “Oh, what? You can’t talk and stand up at the same time? Too much for you, is it?”

Levi hated arguing like this, having to fight at a clear disadvantage. In a real fight, height played no part in restricting the smaller male. But Erwin Smith had a way with words that disarmed even the fiercest of opponents. Until it came to Levi.

The difference in height would probably have looked hilarious to an outside observer, but having to literally look up to Erwin had always been the bane of Levi’s existence. Especially when they disagreed. Like now.

Levi glared up, ignoring the harsh angle that he had to adopt in order to even see the other man’s face. “How did you even know I lived here anyway?” The raven’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Did you have to snoop far, or did you track down Mike and ask him?”

A disapproving frown passed over the blonde man’s face. “Levi…don’t be like this.”

Damn that tone. Damn Erwin for keeping his cool even as Levi was derailing.

Still he managed to shrug and fold his arms. “This is me. Who else am I supposed to be?”

Blue eyes glinted with amusement and Erwin actually smiled.

“Maybe you have changed a little.” He admitted, eyes roving over the raven’s form once. “You never used to be this feisty.”

Levi snarled and looked away, pausing for a moment as he remembered Eren saying the exact same thing about him.

Just yesterday it had been, although now it felt like so much longer. If only the brat was here right now, Levi could set him after Erwin and sit back while they fought it out.

_“So feisty. I like it.”_

Shaking the memory from his head, the raven scowled at the ground for a long moment before turning on his heel and walking back into his flat. He didn’t bother with any words of invitation. The door was open, caught by a strong hand, and Erwin let himself in, closing the door behind him.

It felt strange, almost wrong, to have Erwin back on his territory, even if this was new ground.

“Take off your fucking shoes.” Levi snapped over his shoulder as he collected his left over food from the coffee table and headed for the kitchen. “I swear to all that is holy, if you track dirt in here I will make you clean it with your goddamned tongue and then throw you off the balcony.”

The words were punctuated with the shrill scrape of metal against porcelain as Levi scraped the cold leftovers into a container before dumping the plate in the sink.

Erwin just chuckled at the open hostility. The deep rumble was such an achingly familiar sound that Levi had to put both hands on the kitchen counter, gripping until his knuckles turned white.

The blonde spoke up once again. “That sounds more like the Levi I know.”

“The Levi you knew grew up, asshole.” The raven replied curtly, straightening to look over at the man now padding about his living room. His hands still held onto the counter. “You dropped me and guess what? I bounced. I moved on. Simple. Easy.”

“Of course.” The blonde hummed, sounding far too amused for the raven’s liking.

Levi’s grip tightened further on the bench until a creak was heard and he forced himself to let go. Turning around with the container now in hand, he put it away into the fridge. Upon closing the fridge, however, he found himself watching as Erwin regarded him from across the room.

Levi swallowed hard.

Erwin fucking Smith.

Back in the day, the two of them had been the very closest of friends. So close, in fact, that it eventually branched off into something far more personal and far more intimate. They had been good together, a great team. Erwin had been a classic golden boy, a model student and an ideal child to raise. An excellent fuck but Levi wouldn’t allow himself to linger too long on the details. That was all in the past now. Levi had been even more irresponsible back then, but he had also held onto much bigger dreams. Dreams of a house and his own family, a promising future that had ultimately slipped out of his grasp.

The pair had started dating in high school and had been going strong until one fateful day.

The day Erwin Smith fucked off to study overseas. The day Erwin left without a single word of warning or farewell, leaving Levi to wonder what in God’s name he had done wrong.

The man was still as dazzling as ever, tall and incredibly well built. The man was a goddamned wall of muscled perfection. Muscular without being disproportionate, the blonde bastard was practically a sculpted Adonis. The strong jawline that Levi had once known so well was still flawless, that face, that stupid face, was still the same but different, a little more defined perhaps? And the eyes…two pools of sky blue that knew everything after just one glance. Erwin, that handsome motherfucker, could still tweak at every sensitive place, every exposed nerve. One look and the stiches on Levi’s heart wanted to unravel and start weeping all over again. It wasn’t fucking fair. It had never been fair.

“May I?” Erwin asked, ever the polite gentleman, gesturing to the sofa.

“Sit wherever the fuck you want.” The raven shrugged and ducked his head, leaning a hip against the counter. “I don’t care.”

He had gone for nonchalance on purpose, hoping that it would communicate how extremely done he was with this whole situation. The mischievous little smirk that Erwin suddenly got was not at all the reaction that the raven had been anticipating.

The blonde giant arched one of his thick eyebrows, the motion oddly playful for his usually reserved personality. “Anywhere I want?” Erwin’s deep voice came out almost teasing. “Does that mean you’ve stopped caring about that one time in the kitchen?”

Levi’s head snapped up, a fresh glare plastered across his features. The fucking bastard was trying to play, was he? The raven was not amused at the memory.

Grey eyes narrowed instantly. “Don’t you fucking remind me! That still gives me nightmares, you ass!”

That stupidly sarcastic brow was still raised. “It was one time.”

“Tch.” Levi clicked his tongue in irritation, crossing his arms and huffing. “One time I’d like to forget. Do you have any idea how many times I had to scrub that stupid bench before it was safe to use again?”

If Erwin didn’t, Levi certainly did.

“You’re exaggerating.”

“I bloody well am not!”

“I sat down for all of three seconds.”

“I told you countless times, the counter is for food! Not your ass!”

The blonde only smiled, shaking his head gently as if to communicate how ridiculous he thought the raven-haired man was being. “I just wondered what you’d do. You all but threw me on the floor.”

Levi gave a sharp nod. “I remember. I hope it hurt, too. You deserved it.”

The blonde man brought a hand up to cover his mouth, a sad attempt at muffling his laughter.

Levi’s eyes narrowed further. “Bastard.”

More chuckling and Erwin looked so warm easing out of his amusement. “That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? You’re the first person I’ve come to see, after all.”

The raven’s chest tightened painfully at Erwin’s words and he looked away quickly, swallowing. All this talking, Erwin’s laughter, this ridiculous banter, all of it was too familiar. Everything felt too right, too close to how things had once been between them. An aching nostalgia was awakening within him. It needed to stop, before either of them could do something they’d regret.

Levi shook his head to clear it and looked up again.

“What do you want?” The raven asked.

His voice sounded strange, too thick, too broken, and he hated it.

Erwin’s smile faded at the tone, blue eyes searching Levi’s face as he frowned a little.

“I wanted to see you.” Erwin began, his tone careful as he leaned forward on the sofa.

The posture was familiar, one that the blonde had used many times over…but never directly between them.

Levi didn’t like that, the cautious tone, the guarded expression. It told him that Erwin thought he was some kind of animal, some mysterious creature that might get spooked if he moved too quickly. But that just made him angry. He wasn’t some fragile china doll, far from it.

“Right. Right, of course you did.” The raven bit out the words, giving a humourless chuckle. “See, I’m just having a little trouble believing a single word coming out of your stupid mouth after last time.”

Maybe he sounded a little immature but honestly, Levi couldn’t give a fuck.

He could see the wheels turning behind blue eyes. Erwin was reading the signs; the clipped tone, the sharp pronunciation, the apathetic mask attempting to slip into place. The raven was trying to hide himself away again.

Erwin clearly didn’t like that, sitting up straighter. “I can explain-”

“Where were you?” Levi cut him off, not ready for excuses just yet.

He wanted to be the one in control of this conversation and Erwin wouldn’t steal that control from him with his clever words. Not this time.

The blonde seemed to sense the raven’s determination, gazing almost challengingly into those cold grey orbs before a defeated expression took over his features and he sighed. Erwin was giving in.

“I was studying,” the man murmured, his voice low in an attempt to pacify the other man, “you knew that.”

“Tch.”

Erwin furrowed his brow at the dismissive sound. “Why are you acting as though I lied about searching to further my education outside of the country?”

Levi really didn’t think that question deserved to be dignified with an answer. Unfortunately his temper disagreed and he found himself opening his mouth anyway.

“Oh, let me fucking think…maybe because you’ve lied before?” He snapped in an incredulous tone.

The blonde winced a little at the raven’s harsh tone, blue eyes flickering down a little to look at the floor. Levi could see the guilt written on his face even if Erwin didn’t want to show it.

“I’m not lying about this.” The taller man murmured, eyes still trained on the carpet.

A scoff sounded and Erwin cast the raven a sidelong glance, arching an eyebrow in question.

Levi simply exhaled in a frustrated rush, barely resisting the urge to start pacing. “Of course you aren’t. And I’m just supposed to believe that, am I?”

Old wounds were resurfacing and both men knew how harshly they could argue. It wasn’t worth the strain; both of them were already pushing at their emotional limits.

Sky blue orbs were lost for a moment as Erwin’s eyes closed. “It was the best decision I could make at the time.” He said at last, running a hand over his face in a rare moment of uncertainty. “I had to secure my own future before I could think about building one with you in it.”

That stung. It hurt because Levi understood, at least to a degree. He got it, why Erwin had been hesitant to take their relationship further in the past. But that still did nothing to ease the ache the raven felt in his chest.

There was an all too noticeable distance between them, one that Levi shouldn’t feel alienated by. And yet he did. A confusing mix of feelings tangled in his head as he fought to find the right words to say. It had never been his strong point. Erwin was the master of words, not Levi, and after the silence dragged on too long, the blonde male sighed.

“I don’t know what else you want me to say.” He confessed.

That was a shock. Erwin always knew what to say, he probably had every idea of what he wanted to confess…but to admit that for once he couldn’t read what the raven-haired man wanted him to say? That was something entirely new…and just a little bit worrying.

“You must be losing your touch.”

A soft chuckle, a sad but knowing sound. “Maybe you’re right.”

Once again neither of the two men could seem to find words to put forth, or at least none that wouldn’t drag up more pain.

But as usual, Levi couldn’t remain silent about his thoughts for long. He cleared his throat quietly, but the sound seemed far louder in the tense silence that had engulfed the room. Erwin looked up again, waiting for the smaller man to speak.

And speak he did.

“You just…left.” Levi said, and it felt both painful and relieving to get the words out. “You left everything, your home, your family, your friends, me.” A pause as Levi swallowed thickly and shook his head. “You didn’t even say a damned thing.”

“My flight was leaving early and I-”

“Do you have any idea what it’s like waking up alone after pouring your heart out?”

Pain flashed across the taller man’s face and Levi instantly knew the answer to his question.

No. Erwin didn’t know anything about how that felt.

“I left you a note.” The blonde murmured, unable to meet the raven’s eyes.

A bitter laugh escaped Levi’s throat and he looked up at the ceiling in disbelief. “Yeah, yeah you did. And do you remember what you wrote? ‘I’m sorry it had to be like this. Ask me after college.’ And then you had the gall to sign off with that fucking phony ‘regards’ bullshit!”

The raven punctuated the last word by slamming a fist down against the counter. It hurt, but that was good. Physical pain was something that Levi knew, something he could handle. Pain was good, it would keep him alert.

He heard Erwin swallow from his place on the sofa. “I had no idea that you would be so…shaken.”

Another laugh broke free, a sound so shocked and pained it was almost a sob that rattled out through the raven’s chest. “Shaken? Christ, Erwin, you practically abandoned me. I served up my feelings on a silver platter and you goddamned butchered me. How else was I supposed to react to that? Tell me!”

Levi was shouting and he never did that. It shocked him enough to stagger a little, enough to make him grip onto the bench to prevent himself from sliding to the floor.

A strange dampness was gathering, blurring his vision, and it took the raven a moment to realise that his eyes were welling up.

“Shit.” Levi rubbed the back of one hand roughly against his eyes, tilting his head back to prevent any stray tears escaping.

“Levi?”

Suddenly Erwin sounded worried. The sound of rustling material informed the smaller male that the sculpted giant had gotten up and Levi opened his eyes again.

Erwin was standing now, closer to the kitchen. Just a few strides separated the two men. It was a distance that felt too far and not far enough all in the same instant and Levi let out an unsteady breath.

“I’m fine.” The raven pinched the bridge of his nose, holding up a hand when Erwin took a concerned step closer. “Just…don’t.”

The blonde looked conflicted, warring within himself on whether he should obey Levi’s wishes and stay back or disregard them completely to comfort the man.

“Levi…”

Tone gentle, eyes pleading, it took every bit of Levi’s weakening resolve to take a step back.

“It was a long time ago, okay?” He said, already building up his walls again. “It may as well be another lifetime. I’m good now, I can cope.”

Levi couldn’t lie and tell the other man that he was completely fine. In all honesty, he felt torn up inside. But he put on a brave face as always.

“You wouldn’t like me much nowadays, anyway.” The raven said with a little half-hearted smirk.

Oddly enough, Erwin’s eyes flashed with something remarkably similar to challenge. “How do you know that?”

“Like you said…I’ve changed.” Levi muttered, sounding just as tired as he felt. A shaky chuckle slipped past his guard as he ran a hand over his face and up through his hair. “Christ, look at me. I’m a fucking mess. Not worth your time anyway.”

“What if I don’t care?” The blonde countered.

What if he didn’t care? Oh how hard it was for Levi to keep himself from wanting that to be true. But falling back into old patterns was the opposite way to move forward in the long run. And Levi was tired of being stuck in a rut.

Another tired sigh came from the raven and he shook his head. “Then that’s too bad.”

“And why is that?”

“Because it’s several years too late for you to decide that you don’t care about my flaws.” Levi replied.

He had wanted the words to be harsh, angry. He had wanted them to hurt…but Levi was so tired of carrying emotional baggage around in the back of his mind. He was sick and tired of the chains weighing him down, wrapped around his heart. It felt like it was finally time to let go.

Grey eyes flicked up to meet sad, sky blue and the smaller man steeled himself. “You can’t just come back here after all this time, after never calling or visiting or anything at all. You can’t just expect things to fall back into place. This isn’t some stupid chick-flick where everything works out in the end. That’s not how it works and you know it.”

They both knew it.

Erwin’s eyes dropped down to the floor and he took a step forward. Then another and another until he was standing directly in front of the silver-eyed raven. Levi didn’t move, didn’t do anything but force himself to breathe as Erwin took his hands in his own, thumbs brushing warmth over the raven’s wrists.

“I never meant to cause you pain.” The giant man all but whispered.

It sounded sincere, but the apology was several years too late in coming. Levi exhaled slowly through his nose and looked up.

“Maybe you didn’t. But it hurts anyway. People make decisions and sometimes those decisions have consequences.” Levi waited to see if the blonde would look at him but he didn’t. So the raven continued. “It’s about damned time we both faced the music.”

Levi could hear the sound of Erwin swallowing a little thickly. “I see…and that’s how you feel?”

A single nod. “It is.”

The blonde nodded in acknowledgement, letting out a sigh that made Levi suspicious that perhaps Erwin had been holding his breath. Like maybe Erwin had hoped that Levi would melt right back into his arms.

“I’m sorry to hear that. I honestly think that we could still fix this.”

“Don’t, Erwin.” The raven murmured, pulling his hands back and watching the taller man’s arms hang limply by his sides. “Don’t give me one of your speeches. I’m tired, I’m done.”

“Levi, please.” Erwin had never begged before in his life, at least not to Levi, and yet here he was with a ‘please’ on his tongue and a foolish hope in his eyes. “For old time’s sake, at the very least think it over? Who knows, maybe you’ll think differently when you’ve calmed down.”

With the way his heart was hammering away in his chest, Levi doubted that he would ever be able to calm down.

He sighed, looking off to one side. “Just…just go.”

“Will you think about it?”

“I said go, Erwin.”

The blonde man opened his mouth as if to retort, but closed it again a moment later. His eyes closed and Levi suspected that he was fighting an inner battle, warring with himself over whether or not he should stay and try to get his point across. Levi was certain that there would be more words, more shouting, more painful memories dragged up.

And then Erwin took a step back.

The taller man sighed in exasperation but surrendered, holding his hands up in defeat. “As you wish.” The blonde mountain of a man headed for the door but paused, turning back. He reached inside his coat pocket, pulling out a little white folded piece of card. “Take this. I’ll be around.”

The raven scoffed, crossing his arms and watching Erwin place the card on the edge of the counter.

“Is that a fucking promise or something?”

The look that the raven-haired man got in return was nothing short of heart-stopping, blue eyes suddenly so intense with about a dozen emotions.

“Bet your life on it, Levi.” The blonde murmured, his voice low and sincere. “I’m not going anywhere.”

And just like that, Erwin Smith walked right back out of Levi’s apartment, for the second time leaving the raven alone without so much as a goodbye. Although this time his lack of farewell spoke entirely different volumes.

Levi stood there in his kitchen, letting his folded arms drop down to curl around himself a little. It was a long while before he moved again, and when he did it was only to start cleaning the dishes. Everything was scrubbed harshly by hand, for once the dishwasher was left empty. The raven was confused and drowning in too many feelings at once; he needed hands on work and he needed it fast.

By the time the sky was dark, the flat was cleaner than it had ever been before and Levi had nothing else to scrub.

With a frustrated sound, he trudged his way back to the kitchen to put away his cleaning supplies when a flash of white caught his eye.

The note.

Leaning over the counter, the raven snatched it up and held it out for a moment like he expected it to burst into flames and combust, thus proving that this entire ordeal had been nothing more than a messed up dream.

But after a good five minutes he sighed, accepted his reality, and flipped open the piece of the card. Erwin’s handwriting was even more sickeningly neat, an elegant swirling cursive that made Levi want to gag.

_I had a feeling you’d be upset. Below is my personal phone number. Call me at any time, no matter the reason, and please think about what I said._

_Regards, Erwin._

With a sneer, Levi glanced at the number written by the same graceful hand below the message. It wasn’t familiar and the raven had every intention of screwing up the stupid piece of paper and stuffing in the trash. But then his eyes caught the last line, just one sentence written neatly below the string of digits.

_P.S. For whatever wrong I have done you, I am truly sorry._

The raven-haired man crumpled the card in his fist, hand shaking as he forced himself to breathe.

“Bastard.” He muttered under his breath.

And then Levi went straight to the kitchen, holding his clenched fist over the trash can. He stayed like that for a moment, wanting to toss away the piece of card and never look at it again. After a solid couple of minutes he exhaled in a rush, the sound coming out in a frustrated whimper as he drew back his hand and held it against his chest.

Stupid Erwin. Stupid feelings.

Stomping over to his fridge, Levi snatched off a magnet and stuck the little note in place, slapping the little navy blue magnet over one corner to hold it up.

The raven turned his back on the kitchen, stabbing at the light switch and throwing the rooms into darkness. Only the silvery light of the moon outside prevented him from wandering about in pitch black gloom. Levi slumped down onto the sofa, mobile in hand, and basked in the moonlight pouring in through the floor to ceiling glass doors that lead to the balcony.

After a moment he lifted his phone, typing in a well-known number, and held the device to his ear.

Breathe in…breathe out.

Two rings in and the call was answered.

“Twice already? And all in less than two weeks?”

“Hanji…” Levi hesitated, swallowing, “Erwin’s back.”

A pause.

“Tell me everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE FEELS WERE NECESSARY I PROMISE! PLEASE DON’T KILL ME! *ducks for cover*


	7. Till The Early Hours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has gotten so many hits! O_O Last time I checked it was at like, 43 and now it’s over 600! AMAZING! THANK YOU!! :D  
> Okay guys, one more chapter before Christmas shenanigans unfold! I don’t know how my writing will be for the next couple of days, what with family obligations and all, but I’m sure y’all have similar things happening so yeah. After Boxing Day things will kick back into gear again but I’ll post what I can in between now and then.  
> Sorry again about the sad feels with the sudden splattering of eruri popping up like that. It was essential to the plot, I promise! Hopefully no one's too disappointed at the lack of Eren and his flirty goodness. He'll be back soon :)  
> Now, without further ado, here’s chapter seven! No Eren in this chapter but there’s plenty of Hanji and Levi! And possibly some drunken hilarity…  
> Enjoy and Merry Christmas everyone!!! XD

“We made these memories for ourselves, where our eyes are never closing, hearts are never broken, and time’s forever frozen still.” – Ed Sheeran, Photograph.

***

 

It had been the shortest phone call of his life.

Not one sentence into the call, Levi found himself being cut off by an over-protective Hanji suddenly demanding that he come over to her house.

‘This is the kind of thing people should say face to face’ she had said to him before he hung up. It was dark already, but the raven didn’t care about that as he pulled on some shoes and headed out the door.

Hanji’s house was an inconvenient number of blocks away. The woman had lived an even greater distance from him before she moved from her old high-rise apartment to an actual house. Hanji had found a place closer to Levi on purpose so that she could check up on him and, even though he wouldn’t admit it aloud, Levi appreciated the effort. The house was farther than the walk to work but the raven didn’t want to be driving unless it was literally too far to travel on foot. He had a car, a shiny black 1974 Chevrolet Camaro, but he tried not to drive too much in order to preserve the vehicle. It was the first car he had ever owned, bought with his own money, and he was damned proud of it.

The streets were lit well enough, lamps providing a pleasant yellow glow that illuminated the road. Quite a few cars were still out on the road, although Levi guessed that he shouldn’t be surprised. It was still relatively early.

Plenty of people decorated the sidewalk as well, passing faces, chatting friends, laughing couples, even a few squealing children.

The evening air was cooler than expected and the raven was more than glad that he still had his jacket with him. Even so, the man was still shivering by the time he was strutting up Hanji’s driveway.

It was a nice house, two stories high and painted light grey with a dark blue corrugated iron roof. There were solar panels all over the rooftop but somehow the dark panels didn’t degrade too much from the building’s aesthetics.

One large tree, an oak, stood next to the house on the left. It was enormous and Levi could only imagine the damage it would wreak should it fall onto the house, but Hanji loved it. Speaking of flora, Levi noticed that Hanji had developed the garden since Levi’s last visit. There were now flowers of all colours in the place of dirt and weeds. It was a considerable improvement.

He rapped on the door, three harsh knocks in quick succession, and stood back a little. It had been ages since he had actually laid eyes on his friend and he wondered briefly if their dynamic would feel any different now. Hanji had always been…eccentric.

The door opened and suddenly Levi was set upon by a flailing pair of arms that enveloped his form instantly.

“Hanji-”

“Shh…”

Nope, Hanji was just as nuts as ever. Levi almost sighed with relief. He wouldn’t have had a clue of what to do if his best friend was suddenly normal. Thank goodness for that. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and the glasses that normally adorned her face were perched atop her head.

Another thing that hadn’t changed a bit; Hanji’s awkward longer-than-strictly-necessary hugs.

Levi was still being held in the woman’s vice like embrace.

He cleared his throat, “…you know how I feel about hugs.”

“Just because you don’t want one doesn’t mean you don’t need one.”

Levi made a dissatisfied sound, twisting a little in the woman’s grip. She didn’t budge, only gave a thoughtful hum.

“This isn’t a PDA; I know you’re allergic to those.” The brunette informed him. “Besides, no one’s here. Who do you have to hide from?”

Who indeed? The raven sighed at that and tried to relax a little.

“…nope. Still weird.”

Hanji laughed and released him from her death grip at last, chuckling as she shrugged. “It was worth a shot. Now get in here.”

Same old Hanji.

A hand latched onto Levi’s wrist and the man was tugged through the door by the bespectacled woman. She kicked the door shut behind them before marching off into her home with the raven in tow.

“I have everything we need already set up.” The brunette called over her shoulder as she headed down a hall.

Levi raised an eyebrow at that, watching his feet so that they wouldn’t trip. “What? A murder kit?”

Hanji cackled wildly at the response, letting go of Levi’s arm in favour of smacking her hand against her leg as she laughed.

“That’s brilliant! No, it’s not a murder kit, but darn I should have thought of that too. Next time, I’ll be ready.”

The raven shook his head at her, following along on his own now as they headed through the house. Levi looked up as they reached the main room, watching Hanji fling herself into an armchair and gestured to the table in front of her with a grand sweep of her arms.

So much alcohol.

“Jesus, Hanj, did you rob a liquor store?”

The woman gave him a lazy grin at his use of the pet name Levi had used since they were teens. “Maybe I did. Like I said, I have everything we need. I even have a few bottles of your favourite rosé.”

Levi made an approving sound as he took a seat on the old sofa next to Hanji’s chair.

“So where’s your dearly devoted?”

Hanji snorted, lurching forward to start arranging the bottles available and pushing a wine glass towards Levi. “He’s still at work.”

“A little late.” He commented with a small frown, accepting the glass.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you that he’s on double shifts now.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Yep. Now, shut up and drink.” The brunette said with a grin, clapping her hands together.

“This isn’t why I came over.”

“I know, I know.” Hanji said with a dismissive wave. “But you won’t skip over the important bits after a few glasses.”

“What a thoughtful, responsible friend you are.” The raven muttered dryly as he scooped up one of the bottles of rosé and poured himself a glass.

Hanji scoffed from her chair, already nursing a bottle of some nasty looking mixed drink. “Whatever, Prince Charming.”

A little smirk twitched at the corner of Levi’s mouth as he sipped his wine. “Damn,” he hummed his approval, holding the glass up to the light, “this is the good one.”

“I said so, didn’t I?”

“Yeah but I just assumed you were lying.”

“I never lie about alcohol.” Hanji grinned, leaning back into her chair and scooting around until she was comfortable. She schooled her expression into a much calmer look of curiousness. “So…what did he say?”

Levi let out a sigh as he sat back in his chair. “Straight down to it, huh?”

The woman shrugged, taking another swig of her drink. “Might as well get it off your chest.”

“Guess so.” The raven sighed, crossing one leg over the other and taking a long gulp of the fragrant liquid in his glass before beginning. “He wants to give things another go.”

Hanji made a hissing sound, pulling a face at Levi’s words. He made a sound in agreement.

“Yeah. Like the first time didn’t fuck up enough.”

“Ouch.” Hanji winced as if she had been there to witness the whole thing. “That’s rough, even for him.” She paused, letting the raven have a moment before prying further. “What did you say?”

The raven’s reply was instant. “I said no.”

Hanji just looked at him for a long time, waiting for the words that never came.

“But?” She prompted, voice gentle, encouraging.

Levi looked down, letting out a breath. “But he left his number…and I…”

He let the sentence trail off into silence, hesitating for a long moment before taking another long sip of the wine. But the hesitation had been more than enough to allow his friend to read between the lines.

Hanji’s face took on an empathetic quality. “You kept it, didn’t you.”

The sentence should have been a question, but the way Hanji said it condemned the words to be a statement. She knew him too well, always had, always would. It had been like that ever since they had become friends. Hanji was one of the few people stubborn enough to worm her way past Levi’s defences. She knew that he disliked talking about his feelings but she could also pick her way through what little bits and pieces the raven would reveal to find her way to the truth. It was a quality that she and Erwin had shared.

He swallowed, eyes staring off at the wall across the room. “I couldn’t throw it away. I tried.”

The woman made a noise of acknowledgement. “Was it just his number?”

“There was a message with it.”

Hanji gave a little frown. “Levi, you don’t get sentimental, you don’t get nostalgic.” An almost concerned little smirk crossed her face. “Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”

“I know, I’ve never been like this. But then again I never thought…”

“You didn’t think you’d see him again?” The brunette watched the raven shake his head and she sighed. “Wow, Lever, I thought you were the realistic one.”

Levi ignored the nickname, opting for a nod of agreement. “So did I.”

A pause passed in the conversation as the two stared at the table. Hanji downed the contents of her bottle, making a face at the rush of flavour.

“I can burn the note for you if you want?” Hanji said at last, her voice rasping a little from the burn of alcohol. She sat back, twiddling her thumbs together.

Levi shot her a blank look. “Har har.”

Another pause and Hanji smiled to herself, picking out a new drink.

“So what was he like?”

The raven thought about that. Erwin had changed a bit, of course he had, but he was still the hulking hunk Levi had known for ages.

“Exactly the same only better.”

Hanji raised an eyebrow at the answer. “Better?”

“Yeah.” Levi replied, pouring another glass of the rosé before pausing. “I swear he wasn’t that attractive before…”

The response made Hanji let out a loud scream of laughter, flailing and nearly spilling her drink. “That’s priceless, you should have seen your face then! Levi? Levi..? Oi, you’d better not start drooling or anything.”

The raven snapped out of his reverie and glared. “Shut up. You know what I mean.”

The brunette rolled her eyes fondly. “I’d be the only one who did.”

“Whatever. The point is I felt something.” Levi sat there for a moment, shaking his head. He set down his glass, holding his head in his hands. “What the hell am I supposed to do with that? A man who dropped me like a rock suddenly wants to try again after years of silence? What the fuck?”

Surprisingly, Hanji chuckled to herself at that.

“What?” Levi glowered, grey eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“Wow, love…you need to move on. Find a guy, or a girl, whatever you’re into nowadays. Find someone and for God’s sake get laid.”

Levi stared at the woman long and hard, as if he were trying to decide whether or not he had heard her correctly.

“Hanji, this is serious.”

“I am being serious.” She assured him, even going so far as to put her own drink on the table. “Dead serious. A good fuck or three and you’ll be right as rain.”

“Can we not discuss my sex life?” The raven groaned, running a hand over his face.

“Well yeah.” Hanji snorted, snatching her bottle right back up again. “I mean it doesn’t exist, so how could we be discussing it?”

“Fuck you.”

“No thank you.” She smirked. “I already have a guy for that.”

The brunette let out a long, wheezing laugh, like she’d just told the best joke in the universe.

Levi scowled at Hanji’s grinning face for a long moment, waiting for her to calm down. “You can be a real fucker sometimes, you know that?”

“Pfft!” She waved him off. “Of course I know that. It’s why we’re friends.”

The raven gave a little nod and a single chuckle. “Usually your fuckery isn’t directed at me, though.”

Hanji’s grin started to fade. “No, but that’s because you weren’t the sad single guy until today.”

The woman’s next smile was too sympathetic for Levi’s liking and he stuck his tongue out at her in a childish display of spite. “I’ve been single for a long time.”

“True, but you weren’t moping about. You were getting on with things.”

“But it’s never been like it was.” The raven-haired man sighed, sensing that they were about to dive right back into sensitive topics. “I’ll never get back to that.”

Before Erwin had left, Levi had been in a good place. He’d been doing well in school, his parents had been happy and he’d known exactly where his future would lead him…anywhere that Erwin Smith went.

Not any longer.

Hanji stretched a leg to bump her foot against the raven’s knee, sending him a kind smile when he eventually glanced up. They had always been in sync like that, seeming to know what the other was thinking. Levi knew that Hanji would drag him back to the present before he could wallow too deeply in memories of the past.

“Maybe you won’t,” Hanji’s voice sounded soft, understanding as she spoke up, “maybe you won’t get back there…but maybe you will. You won’t ever know for sure until you give it a try.”

A longsuffering sigh made its way through Levi’s lips and he leaned his head against his fist, propping his elbow up against the arm of the sofa. “Hanji, be serious, who’s going to want to date a moody, stony-faced fucker like me?”

“You’d be surprised.”

“Pfft.”

Hanji sent a glare his way for doubting her words, kicking his foot. Levi stared over at her, expressionless, and kicked back. They both smirked a little at that and Hanji continued.

“You’ve already come so far since back then.” She assured him, gesturing in his direction. “You fixed yourself up and landed a job that you rule at, I mean seriously, Levi, you get paid to be a badass! And let’s not forget to mention that you’re sexy as fuck.”

The raven-haired man scoffed where he sat, shifting in his seat. “So you’re saying that my personality has nothing to do with it, my looks will win out?”

“Oh hush, you’ve got a fine personality. You’re actually pretty funny under all the scowls and looks of doom. So there, that’s like a double-whammy of win. You’re gorgeous and not a terrible person.”

“Oh-hoh?”Levi started to chuckle. “The truth’s coming out now, is it?”

“Shut up, I’m your friend, I can say these things.” She chuckled, waving him off before turning serious again. “My point is, Levi, you could probably have anyone.” The woman paused for a moment, making a face at her own words. “Ehhhh…well okay, maybe not anyone, but a hell of a lot of people. You’re only alone because you choose to be.”

That was painfully true and a little too close to home.

Regardless, the raven shrugged. “I don’t like people in general. You know that, hell everyone knows it!”

“It doesn’t have to be people. Just a _person_. Find one person that you can talk to and see where things go from there.” She said, looking over at the raven as he gave her a reluctant look. “Otherwise I am going to put your details on every single dating website known to man. And once I’ve done that I’ll start making my own sites!”

If looks could kill, Hanji would be midway through having a stroke right about then.

“Do it and no one will ever find your body.”

“So get the murder over with.” She shrugged, smiling. “Maybe if you lose the one person you actually talk to, you’ll finally be forced to branch out.”

Both of them wanted to laugh but just beneath the surface of those words lay the bitter truth.

“Fuck, you really are the only person I ever talk to on purpose, aren’t you?”

This time Hanji did start laughing.

Levi just sighed. “Okay, so we’ve established that I’m a total fuck up. Can we bitch about Erwin now?”

“Yes we can!”

 

Many drinks later and the duly appointed bitching session was still going strong. The time had flown by and a quick glance at Hanji's clock revealed that it was 12:30am and no longer a Friday. Both the raven and the brunette were now situated on the sofa. Hanji sat at one end and Levi lay sprawled out on his back, resting his feet in the brunette’s lap. Levi had gone through one whole bottle of rosé, done about half a dozen shots and was now halfway through his second bottle of wine. His glass had been discarded completely, left sitting empty on the table. The wine bottle was being nursed in his lap as he scowled up at the ceiling.

“That asshole.”

An equally drunk Hanji nodded fiercely in agreement. “Yep, total butt-ward.”

“Complete bastard.”

“We hate him, don’t we?”

“We so do.” The raven agreed, throwing an arm over his face for a moment. “We totally hate him and his stupid face.”

“Yeah!” Hanji cheered, nearly losing her drink in the process.

“Yeah.” Levi repeated, letting his arm fall back again to hang limply off the side of the sofa before squinting a little. “I mean, who even has a face like that?”

“Don’t forget his weird-ass eyebrows!” The brunette contributed.

Levi’s head shot up from its resting place against one arm of the sofa and he pointed at her, eyes wide. “I thought no one else had noticed!”

One wondrous thing about Hanji was that she completely supported her friends in almost whatever they did. Naturally, this carried over to be twice as intense as soon as the woman had alcohol in her system. Having both the raven and the brunette intoxicated at the same time was a rare and amusing sight.

“No!” Hanji screeched with laughter, shaking so hard that the couch shook with her. “No, I see it too! The eyebrows of doom!”

“But no one even says anything!” The raven said in disbelief, throwing his hands in the air before letting them flop back down onto his stomach. “But they’re right there like-” Levi paused, sitting up and making a serious face, leaning closer and closer to Hanji to make his point before the woman burst into a fit of giggles.

The petite male stared at her for a moment, trying to remember what the hell they were even talking about before he chuckled a little as well and slumped back against the sofa with a muted thud.

“We-” Hanji started, losing her words to another quick burst of laughter for a moment, “We should do something about it.”

Levi hiccupped a little as he went to speak. “Y-You think?”

“Yeah!”

Another thing that happened when both Levi and Hanji got drunk together…petty vengeance plots.

“Okay,” The raven conceded, shifting a little so that he could prop himself up on his elbows to look at her, “but what?”

“Ummmmm…” Hanji paused, leaning clumsily against the arm of her sofa and tapping a finger against her mouth, “we could prank call him?”

Levi scrunched up his nose at the thought. “Nah, not worth it. He’d know your voice in a second.”

“Yeah, yeah I guess you’re right.” The brunette admitted, leaning back and giving a long and thoughtful hum. “Hmm…we could…call a bunch of strippers and send them over there?”

“And let him get away with a free show? No thank you.”

“We could make him pay for them, though..?”

Levi glanced at the ceiling as he thought about it. “Hmm…nah. He’s probably rich as hell anyway.”

Suddenly Hanji began to snicker, waving her hand in the air like it could somehow help her to expel her amusement.

She pointed at Levi briefly, still trying to muffle her laughter. “Wait, wait, hehe, Levi?”

“Yeah?”

“Hehe, no no, L-Levi, hey.”

The raven’s brow twitched a little in annoyance as the woman continued to chuckle. “What?”

“Are you listening?”

“Yes! Spit it out!”

“Okay, okay.” She grinned, motioning with her hands in front of her. “We should go to his house…a-and then you can move all his stuff!”

Levi stared at Hanji for a very long moment, hoping that his expressionless face was communicating the current feeling of 'I'm so done with you' that the raven was experiencing towards his friend.

“That’s it?" He queried, casting a dubious frown the brunette's way. "That’s your master revenge plan?”

“Yeah!”

“Pfft!”

“What? It’s better than your plan!”

“I didn’t have a plan.” The raven muttered dryly. “Those were all your shitty ideas.”

“Oh.” Hanji paused, frowning as she thought back on the conversation. “Oh yeah…”

Levi shook his head at her. “Idiot.”

She shrugged off his insult, completely unaffected. “Well it’s either that or you could take a dump on his bed.”

“That’s stupid.” The raven muttered, grimacing at the thought.

Hanji leered at him from the other end of the sofa. “Or is it?”

The brunette held her hands up in the air, as if that would help to make her suggestion seem less ridiculous.

“It…” the raven paused for a moment, giving thought to the idea, “actually maybe if we-no, no no.” He shook his head. “It’s stupid. Not to mention gross.”

“You considered it! Ahaha!”

“Shut up.”

Of course telling Hanji Zoe to be quiet never worked. Ever.

The woman doubled over, nearly falling from the couch as she gripped her stomach with one hand, flailing with the other. Her screeching cackle carried through the whole house.

“Sh-Shut up, you’ll wake your goddamned neighbours!”

“ _AHAHAHA!_ ”

Levi growled as Hanji continued to ignore him. “That’s it, say goodbye; I am officially going to smother you with a pillow.”

Even as the words were leaving his mouth, the raven lunged forward clumsily to catch the giggling lunatic.

It was at that moment that the front door opened and the pair of squabbling friends froze.

Not thirty seconds later, Moblit came through, stopping with a start at the end of the hall and staring at the scene at hand. Hanji was currently holding back Levi who was hanging over her, brandishing a pillow true to his word.

“Darn, looks like the murder will have to wait until next time.” Levi murmured, tossing the pillow at Hanji’s face as he sat back a little.

The brunette gasped in mock surprise. “Don’t say that, you know that Moblit will take comments like that to heart.”

“Relax, it’s me.” The raven drawled from the couch, falling back into his original position and stretching out like a cat. “Death threats are how I communicate.”

A still giggling Hanji leapt up from the sofa, letting Levi’s legs slide from her lap and sprawl off the edge of the couch. She bounced over to greet Moblit and Levi let his eyes slip shut for a moment.

“How was work?”

“Fine, how are things here?”

A giggle sounded. “Poor baby Levi has had a nasty blast from the past.”

“Oh?”

“I’m not a little kid, geez.” Levi muttered, cracking open an eye to glare over at the happy couple watching him. “I’m fine. It just took me off guard.”

“Oh yeah, you seem totally fine.” Hanji smirked at him.

Levi stuck his tongue out at her.

The pair by the door shared a knowing look before Hanji spoke up again.

“So you’re staying here tonight, then?”

The raven gave a shrug, exhaling through his nose. “Probably a good idea. I don’t really want to be walking home like this. Feel free to kick me out if I cause too much trouble.”

Hanji cackled suddenly, causing Moblit to jump a little beside her as she leaped over the coffee table to prod at the drunken male on the couch.

“More likely it’ll be you throwing me out!” She grinned down at him.

Levi squirmed, rubbing the spot where she had jabbed him. “Mrph. Don’t shout.” He grumbled

More laughter.

The raven growled. “At this rate, I _will_ be tossing your stupid ass out, guest or no.”

“Maybe we should all get some rest?” Moblit stepped in then, gently tugging Hanji away before she could invoke the smaller man’s wrath. “Especially you two.”

Levi blinked over at him, rubbing his tired eyes. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Hanji nodded in agreement, looking back to her friend. “Are you going to sleep in the guest room?”

“I don’t have the energy to stand.” The raven murmured, offering a little smirk. “Here’s fine.”

“Haha, of course, of course.” The woman chuckled, leaning down a bit to stage-whisper. “Just remember that it was your own decision when you wake up tomorrow and complain about feeling stiff and sore.” She laughed at his grumble, straightening again. “Want me to get out some blankets?”

“Please.”

“On it.”

Hanji dashed off while Moblit smiled after her. The two men were left alone for a moment and after a short pause, Levi glanced up at the other man. Moblit offered a small smile.

“Bad day?”

The raven made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a scoff. “You could say that.”

Moblit’s smile turned sympathetic and he gave a little nod. “I hear that Erwin’s come home.”

Levi paused, glancing curiously at the other man. “He has.” The raven blinked, frowning. “How did you-”

“Hanji told me.”

The smaller male sat up a little at the reply. “Huh?”

Moblit gave a little confused frown of his own, pointing after where Hanji had ducked off to. “I got a text half an hour ago.”

“What?” Levi began incredulously before suddenly spotting the brunette’s black mobile on the table along with a lot of empty bottles. He blinked at the sight for a long moment, wondering how in the hell Hanji had managed to get up, find her phone _and send a message_ without him knowing about it. “How could she even do that, she’s been here this whole time and I haven’t seen her touch a phone.”

The other man smiled knowingly. “It’s Hanji. She always finds a way.”

As if on cue, the enthusiastic woman bounded back into the room carrying a grey blanket and a large glass full of clear liquid. She flung the blanket haphazardly over the raven-haired man, ignoring the look he gave her, and held out the glass.

“There we go. Now drink this.”

Grey eyes narrowed in mild suspicion. “What is it?”

“Just water, silly.” The brunette reassured him. “Make sure you drink all of it or you’ll have one mother of a hangover tomorrow.”

Levi rolled his eyes and accepted the glass. “Yes, mother.” He snarked.

“Good boy.” The brunette reached over to pet Levi’s hair as he downed all of the water. “What an obedient son we have, don’t you think, Moblit?”

Hanji played right along with the raven’s sarcastic comment, turning to grin over at her partner.

The man looked over at the two of them with a smile and started shaking his head. Moblit was well used to their ridiculous displays, but it had been some time since Levi’s last visit. He sometimes forgot just how silly the pair of them could be.

Hanji took the glass when Levi had finished, only to refill it and bring it right back. She set it down on the table before retiring to her own bedroom with Moblit.

“Goodnight, son!” Hanji called out the door.

“Shut up, Hanji.”

“Is that any way to talk to your mother?” The woman called back, sounding appalled.

Levi rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop himself from smirking a little.

“Goodnight.” He muttered, shifting around on the sofa until he was comfortable.

Closing his eyes, Levi tried not to think about Erwin as his mind began to fade into unconsciousness. It wasn’t easy, especially when the bastard’s face came up in his mind’s eye. Levi frowned and squeezed his eyes shut tighter and thought of other things.

He thought about the walk home from work he took most days, the calming stop by the river, the faces he saw on the street. And then…

_“Are we talking or are we flirting?”_

_“Why can’t we do both?”_

_“Because it’s fucking distracting, that’s why.”_

He thought about Eren, that insufferable starry-eyed brat, and found himself frowning a little less. He thought about Eren’s voice, the way it was almost always playful, and he remembered the intriguing colour in the kid’s eyes. Blue in the shade, flecked with green in the sun, and seemingly backlit in their intensity.

_“They are lovely, though.”_

_“What?”_

_“Your eyes.”_

Levi thought about how Eren was honest, about how he spoke his mind. He thought about how annoying that little habit could be.

_“I like you.”_

_“You really have no boundaries, do you?”_

It was stupid and annoying and totally inappropriate.

_“Can I keep you?”_

…but Eren hadn’t told him a lie so far.

As odd and worrisome as Eren could be, and as little as the raven actually knew the boy, he was honest…and in Levi’s mind, honesty was the most important thing. More than winning or losing, more than hate, even more than love. Levi lived in a dishonest world and within that world there were very few people he felt that he could trust.

As he drifted off to sleep Levi wondered if maybe, just maybe, Eren would become one of those people…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully that makes up for the depressing vibes of chapter six :/ Next chapter might just have Eren bouncing his way back into Levi’s life, you never know ^_^ Once again, thank you all SO MUCH for reading, commenting and leaving kudos, it means so much to me! I never expected this to be any kind of success but you guys are proving me wrong and keep me writing. Thank you! Everyone have a very merry Christmas! You all have my best wishes!


	8. Hello Sunshine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally this monster of a chapter is finished!  
> So I didn’t get to update sooner, like I’d hoped :( but to make up for it, this next chapter is a good long one! Yay!  
> So basically, Levi gets around to getting on with his life…or does he?  
> Apologies for the wait and as always, enjoy!

“Here comes the sun, little darling. Here comes the sun and I said it’s alright.” – The Beatles.

***

 

Well that was one hangover the raven hadn’t expected to thwart so easily.

The curtains of the living room were drawn, casting the place into a pleasant gloom perfect for waking up to. Levi blinked himself awake, shocked when he could not only think reasonably clearly but also remember every detail about the night before without his head aching. So the water had its merits after all.

The raven let out a breath and stretched his limbs, feeling a few joints crack from sleeping on the narrow sofa. He groaned softly, hearing the squeak of a door opening.

“Wakey wakey, my little bundle of joy.” Hanji’s voice called gently, sounding very much like the woman had only just woken herself.

Sarcastic even when only half-conscious. Classic Hanji.

She padded around the end of the sofa and into sight, starting slightly when her brown eyes were met with a sleepy glare. “Oh, you’re already up?”

“Yeah,” he rasped, reaching for the glass on the table. He downed the remaining half-cup of water, “just barely.”

“Me too.” A drowsy smile formed over the brunette’s face as she came to sit on the couch, lifting the raven’s legs so that she could sit down. “So what are you going to do?”

Levi frowned, wishing that for once Hanji could skip over the hard topics until he was fully awake.

“About what?” He asked to see if she would let him play dumb.

“You know what.”

But of course nothing ever went according to plan with Hanji.

Levi let out a sigh and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I don’t know.” He murmured, voice low as he stared at the carpet. “Nothing for now. I’m going to go home and think about things.”

“Okay.” Hanji nodded, watching the raven from her end of the couch. “But if something happens in the meantime or if anything else develops-”

“You’ll be the first person I’ll call.” Levi finished with a nod, holding up a hand to appease his friend.

“That’s my boy.” The brunette grinned, reaching over to shove playfully at the raven’s shoulder before flopping back against the sofa with a chuckle. “So do you want a lift home or?”

Levi shook his head twice. “I can walk, it’s fine.”

Hanji made a ‘pfft’ sound at him and pushed herself up off the couch. “I can drop you home, it’s no trouble. And don’t give me that fitness bullshit.” She added when the raven started to protest. “You’re a goddamned wall of fitness, Levi; one ten minute ride in a car won’t destroy your figure.”

“Fine, geez.” Levi rolled his eyes but smirked over at her.

The short silence the pair fell into was almost comforting, until-

“I still think you should get laid-”

“Argh!”

 

The weekend passed in a strange haze where everything seemed to go by slower than usual. After returning from Hanji’s house, the raven had gotten right down to cleaning. He tied things here and wiped away imaginary dust there. It might have been a fruitless effort, but the raven secretly hoped that if he cleaned enough then all the miserable feelings of Friday would get wiped away as well as the dirt that he may or may not have been imagining. No such luck, though.

The gloomy vibes carried through to Sunday and Levi threw himself into his work to combat them. He planned to start filming his first tutorial on Monday, just a simple run through of how his blog would be working and some details of his daily routine so that people wouldn’t have to wait too long to have their questions answered.

The raven had already familiarised himself with his old blog, gone through and edited, added new pages and even answered a few questions. Surprisingly enough, the distraction was working. As he built up his new routine, he was able to focus less and less on how much of an antisocial he really was.

By Monday Levi was fully prepared to make his first video. He set up his tripod, adjusting the camera to sit steadily atop the frame and fiddling with the lens until he knew that he couldn’t possibly put off filming any longer when-

_Tap, tap, tap._

Levi froze suddenly at the sound of three knocks at the door.

Relax; he told himself, it’s probably just Hanji. Maybe she had come by to make sure that he was still okay? Yes, that had to be it.

The knocking came again, a little louder this time.

That was definitely not Hanji…that crazy woman would have tried to break in by now, but not before running into the door a couple of times first. She rarely knocked, and when she did it was loud and obnoxious…this sound was tentative, unsure almost.

Against his better judgement, Levi straightened and made his way over to the door. He reached out and gripped the handle…and just stood there for a moment. Hoping, dreading whoever was on the other side.

Pull yourself together, he thought, it’s probably a freaking paper boy or some shit.

Breathing in deeply through his nose, Levi tugged the door open.

“…”

It wasn’t a paper boy…but it _was_ a boy.

The only problem was that he shouldn’t be here.

“E-Eren?”

Bright blue-green eyes seemed to shine at the mention of his name, and a smile all too cheerful for the situation at hand lit up the brunette’s face.

“Hello.” The boy greeted merrily.

Levi just stared.

Eren was there. Eren was _right there_ in his apartment building, right outside his flat. It was one thing for the raven to be thinking about the boy, (and dreaming about him a few times but there was no way in hell he would ever admit to that), but for him to actually show up was something Levi wasn’t sure he could handle.

The damned brat didn’t even give him time to think before he was ploughing on with more words.

“So I was looking around the neighbourhood and I was thinking back to Thursday when I remembered that I don’t even know your name and-”

“Eren, what in the ever living fuck are you doing outside my apartment?” Levi cut him off in a monotonous rush.

The boy paused sheepishly. “Well…I was getting to that.”

“No, scratch that, how the fuck did you even _find_ my apartment?”

Eren flinched a little at the sharp tone, rubbing at the back of his neck and looking around at everything but Levi. “Um…I sort of, maybe might have…followed you home.” The boy admitted, quickly moving on to explain after risking a glance at the raven. “It was a complete accident, I swear it! I was just walking on Friday and I saw you and I didn’t have anything better to do so-”

“Wait, wait, Friday?” Levi’s customary frown deepened as he thought, shock momentarily forgotten. “It’s Monday now, why did you wait so long?”

_Why couldn’t you have come over before Erwin?_

The raven’s glare returned. “Have you been stalking me?”

There was a long pause in which the brat did little but cringe in the hallway, fidgeting.

“Uh…if I say no…will you stop glaring at me?”

“This is looking worse and worse for you, brat.” Levi cut the brunette off again, his initial fear morphing into a confusing mix of feelings.

Shock at seeing Eren again, and outside his home of all places, fear at recalling all that the boy had admitted to and what he might be planning, relief that it hadn’t been a certain blonde-haired asshole at the door instead, and lastly, anger born from all his emotions clashing together. A part of him knew that the anger wasn’t totally Eren’s fault, but it needed to get out somehow.

“Explain to me why you are standing here in the next thirty seconds or I am going to go and get my tripod and shove it so far up your ass that you’ll never walk straight again.”

Apparently that would be via creative threats.

Levi was completely ready for the brat to make some stupid, flirty comment. In fact he was so ready for it that the lost expression on Eren’s face didn’t even register.

“I-I just wanted to see you.” The boy said, eyes wide and honest.

The raven wasn’t having a bar of it.

“Cut the crap.” Levi snapped and Eren winced. “You’re not some innocent high schooler. We’re not an item; you have no reason to be here. You are a murderer and that makes me more than a little bit worried that you are currently standing _right outside the place where I live._ Do you see why this is a problem?”

“I just wanted to know your name. I-I’m sorry.” Eren’s voice trembled a little.

Levi stared incredulously as the brunette hiccupped miserably and brought up a hand to rub at his eyes. This couldn’t be happening.

“Are you fucking crying? Are you serious right now?”

“N-No.” Eren managed, choking back a noise that was suspiciously similar to a sob.

“You’re supposed to be a serial killer or something. Don’t weep on my doorstep.”

For some reason blunt utterings didn’t seem to be convincing the brunette to cease crying.

“Brat?”

No reply, other than another poorly muffled sob.

Great, Levi thought, now he felt almost guilty. Eren may have been a creepy, confusing brat but he didn’t deserve Levi’s wrath. If anyone should be being yelled at, it was a certain tall sculpted blonde asshole who’d had the nerve to come and send Levi’s life into disarray. To top it off he had next to no idea how to deal with a crying person, especially not someone like Eren. After an awkward moment of staring at the kid as he tried not to sob, Levi rolled his eyes.

“Ah Christ, come here.” He muttered, reaching out and latching his hand around the brat’s wrist.

Eren squeaked and panicked as he was yanked roughly into an awkward one-armed hug. Levi’s other hand remained on the door. The angle wasn’t ideal and Levi felt more than weird stepping out of his comfort zone, but fuck no was he going to just stand there like an ass while the kid cried. Eren stood there in silence, his arms hovering out by his sides like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with them.

“Uh…is this what you meant before?” Eren spoke after a moment, his hands still hovering. “About comforting people?”

In their current position, with Levi’s ear pressed against the brunette’s chest, Eren’s voice sounded different. It was richer, a little deeper too.

“Yeah.” The raven replied, stepping back and making a face at what he’d just done.

“That was weird.” Eren murmured, looking at Levi like he was some strange new thing.

Levi nodded in agreement. “You’re right there. Don’t worry on it too much though, I suck at comfort too.”

“It was nice though,” Eren hurried to correct, holding his hands up, “just odd. You don’t seem the type.”

“Heh. I guess not.” The smaller man shook his head and gave a sigh, having a feeling that he was going to regret his next words. “Come in, then.”

Eren’s eyes bugged. “Wh-Wha?”

Yep, that was definitely regret.

“You heard me.” The raven said simply, stepping back and holding the door open. It was too late to take the words back now. “Go on, sit down and for God’s sake stop crying.”

The brunette looked at Levi like maybe there was something wrong with him. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yep.” Levi replied, placing emphasis on the ‘p’.

That wasn’t a lie at all. Nope, not one bit untrue.

“Y-You’re just letting me in?”

“I don’t see why the fuck not? You already know where I live; I’m fucked anyway if you decide to knife me. Might as well invite you in and make you some tea.”

It was a wide-eyed Eren that stepped cautiously into Levi’s apartment, like he was terrified that the raven would change his mind and kick him straight back out the door. The boy took his shoes off at Levi’s request, arranging them by the door, and followed the smaller male inside to the living room which opened out into the kitchen. The dining room was adjoined as well, separated from the kitchen by a counter. Everything was coloured in cool hues of white, grey and dark blue and the place had a sterile feel to it.

Eren took a seat on the grey sofa that Levi pointed to while the raven padded into the kitchen. He filled the kettle and set it on the stove to boil, noticing the boy on the sofa staring about the room.

What was Levi doing? What in sweet Christ’s name had driven him to think that inviting a killer into his home was in any way a good idea?

_“You’re only alone because you choose to be.”_

The raven let the silence drag on for a moment, interrupted only by the few soft sniffles that still came from Eren every once in a while.

“It’s Levi, by the way.” The smaller man murmured as he stretched up to grab two cups from the top cupboard.

Eren turned his head quickly from where he had been glancing around at the sparsely decorated space. “Huh?”

“My name.” The raven clarified with a glance over his shoulder.

Eren tested out the word. “L-Levi?”

Names always sounded much nicer when other people said them, and Levi found that he quite liked the sound of his name on Eren’s tongue.

“Yeah.” He murmured in response, snatching up a few tissues from the counter.

He wet a couple under the tap.

“I-I like it.” The brunette spoke up from the couch, offering a tiny smile. “It’s nice.”

“Thanks.”

Levi walked over towards the sofa and crouched in front of Eren, noticing the boy’s eyes widen.

“What are you-?” Eren was cut off as his chin was taken between long fingers.

The boy was tugged forward a little, the grip on his chin strong, and Eren was about to protest when the raven started dabbing at his face with the dampened tissues.

“This is why people shouldn’t cry.” Levi muttered, wrinkling his nose. “You’re a mess.”

Another mess…just like Levi.

_“It doesn’t have to be people. Just a person.”_

The brunette sat in complete silence as the other man cleaned him up, looking completely lost as his tears were swiped away like they were the sole cause of annoyance for the raven crouching before him. The moment didn’t last long, but by the time the smaller male was standing up and heading back towards the kitchen Eren was no longer crying.

Levi could feel Eren’s eyes on him as he wandered about the kitchen, checking on the heating water and wiping down the counter for no good reason.

_“Find one person that you can talk to and see where things go from there.”_

Eren was a person that Levi could talk to, even if he could be annoying. In fact he was the first person in a long time not to be put off by the raven’s abrasive personality. Perhaps this was the time to put Hanji’s advice to good use?

_“You won’t ever know for sure until you give it a try.”_

“Do you take sugar?” The raven asked after he had nowhere else to clean.

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, ‘you don’t know’?” Levi turned, shooting the boy an incredulous look. “Haven’t you ever had tea before?”

The brunette shook his head, watching as Levi shook his own head at the response and muttered something under his breath. Another quiet moment wrapped itself around the two as the water boiled.

“You’re scary when you’re mad.” Eren voiced after a short silence.

Levi snorted from his place in the kitchen where he lent against the counter. “I get that a lot.” He smirked, casting a glance at the boy on the sofa. “You didn’t seem to think so before.”

“That’s because you were only annoyed back then. Not properly angry.”

“Well I’ve never had a killer come to my door before.”

Eren’s eyes narrowed as he proceeded to glare at the other man. “You really like reminding me about that, don’t you?”

“It’s the truth, brat. You murdered someone.”

“It wasn’t murder.” The brunette argued. “I was hunting.”

“What?” The raven made a derisive sound, waving a finger at the boy. “No, you can’t just label it and make everything better. A person ended up dead because of you. Therefore, you killed them. Aka murder. Brought to you by ‘died in a back alley’.”

“You’ve killed flies before, haven’t you?” Eren countered, flicking imaginary dirt from his arm. “It was no big deal, sheesh.” He shrugged. “I killed an insignificant creature and put it to better use.”

From where he lent against the kitchen bench, Levi stared at the brunette and shook his head slowly. “Your perspective on things is a whole other level of fucked up, brat.”

The raven pushed off the counter as the kettle finished boiling and set about pouring the steaming liquid into the teacups, already prepped with a teabag each.

The brunette piped up again from the sofa. “I just want you to know the difference.”

Levi scoffed as he brought the cups over, each one full of the steaming brown brew. The raven-haired man drank his tea straight and black, but he had added two teaspoons of sugar to Eren’s tea after recalling the brat’s fondness for sweets from their ‘so called date’ on Thursday.

It felt like a long time ago now.

Levi sat on the edge of the sofa, leaving a decent space between himself and the brat, and handed Eren his cup.

“It’s hot, be careful.”

“Thank you-” Suddenly Eren’s eyes grew wide and he froze in his seat.

Levi frowned as the brat continued to stare at him.

“What?” The raven muttered, taking a careful sip of his tea.

“What’s wrong with your face?” The brunette blurted out.

“Huh?” Levi frowned, wondering what the hell the brat meant.

Eren scooted forward on the couch, setting his cup down on the coffee table before turning to Levi and leaning towards him, eyes narrowing in scrutiny. The smaller man leaned back, raising an eyebrow.

“Can I..?” The boy left the question open, bringing a hand up.

The raven eyed him carefully but, after finding no obvious sign of an ulterior motive, he nodded. Levi remained still as the brunette stretched out a hand and soon cool fingers were tracing along the skin just beside his temple, lightly moving to brush over the ring in his brow.

Levi laughed at that, just a quiet huff of a laugh, and pried the brunette’s hand away from his face to explain. “There’s nothing wrong, kid. They’re piercings. It’s perfectly normal.”

Eren’s face scrunched up in concentration. “I don’t remember them being there before.” He murmured, eyes travelling between the accessory and the raven’s gaze.

“That’s because I take them out when I’m teaching. It’s a safety thing.”

Eren nodded in understanding. “I see.” The boy scrutinized the other man a moment longer. “How many do you have?”

Levi gave a shrug. “A few.” He replied.

It was a vague yet honest answer.

The brunette didn’t seem the slightest bit perturbed by the elusive reply, shifting a little where he sat. “Will you show me?”

The raven sent Eren an odd look, having not expected the boy to ask such a question. Then again, Eren surprised him every time they saw each other.

At last Levi exhaled. “They’re not that interesting.”

“Maybe not to you.” The brunette countered, teal eyes silently pleading with their honest curiosity.

The raven sighed. “Fine.”

He sat very still as Eren moved closer, bringing both hands up to the raven’s face and tilting his head so that he could view the silver band in a better light. In doing this, the boy noticed the glint of metal in Levi’s ear and he scooted over a bit to see them too, turning the other man’s head as it suited him. Eren didn’t keep up his usual chatter and after a while the silence seemed too charged. Levi was normally the last person to break the silence, however this time it felt necessary. What to say, though? Well, there was always the obvious backstory option. Inhaling through his nose, Levi opened his mouth and went for it.

“I used to have studs in my eyebrow instead of the closure ring,” the raven paused for a moment as Eren met his eyes, waiting for the rest of Levi’s sentence, “but I had to give them up after I lost a bet.” Levi finished, looking away over Eren’s shoulder as he went on. “You can probably still see the scars if you catch the skin in the right light.”

Eren’s fingers traced over the near-invisible marks left by the former piercings, two tiny patches of skin that were a fraction paler than the surrounding flesh, and he murmured a confirmation.

“What was the bet?” The boy asked.

Levi lifted one shoulder in a dismissive shrug, still not looking at Eren. “Just a stupid gamble. I lost and I paid up.”

“You didn’t think to replace what you lost?”

Another shrug from the raven as he sighed, breathing out in a rush. “I thought about it.” The smaller male admitted, reaching up with his own hand to touch his brow when Eren’s hands moved away. “In the end it seemed better to go for something new rather than try to hold onto the past.”

“I see. Thank you for sharing that.” The brunette said with a smile, his tone the most sincere it had ever sounded as he clasped his hands in his lap. “Is that all of them?”

“Those are all the one’s you can see without me having to strip.” Levi gestured to his face as he spoke, punctuating with a little flourish of his wrist.

Suddenly Levi had every last bit of Eren’s attention.

“Oh?” The brat seemed to be damned near glowing from eagerness as he leaned forward. “So you have more?”

Levi smirked. “Yes, but the other two…aren’t exactly for show and tell.”

“Come on, they can’t be that bad.”

Eren whined and coaxed for a good ten minutes but Levi remained unmoving as he stared.

“I’d need to be very drunk to even think about showing you those.”

Eren pouted and the raven scoffed at him.

“Keep it up all you want, brat. It’s not happening.”

The brunette huffed, leaning back and rolling off the sofa to land on the floor and crawling over to get his tea. Eren brought the cup up to his lips and sipped at the warm brew, rocking back to lean against the coffee table. Apparently that conversation was over, for now at least. With Eren’s track record of being a persistent little shit, Levi was sure that he would bring the issue up at a later date. But for now, Levi had other matters on his mind.

He sat back against the arm of the sofa, eyeing the still pouting brunette. “So…now that you’re here and all…are you going to tell me what you are?”

Eren nearly choked on his tea, looking up in surprise as he swallowed quickly.

“Something wrong?” The raven stared, gesturing to the tea. “Too sweet?”

Eren shook his head. “Oh no, no no, it’s good. I just…” A pause. “I don’t really want to.” He admitted, setting his cup down behind him on the table.

Levi arched an eyebrow at the response. “Why not? Did you suddenly get all shy on me?”

The brunette shook his head once, his boyish face suddenly twisting with an anxious gulp as he avoided looking Levi in anywhere in the face.

“You’re not a stripper or something, are you?”

“What? No!”

“Then what?” The raven asked, resting his head on one hand and propping his elbow against the arm of the sofa. “Even if you lied to me just now about stripping, it can’t be that bad.”

“I don’t want you to not like me.”

“Who says I like you anyway?” The raven deadpanned.

“Hey!” Eren protested, finally looking at Levi properly.

The raven shrugged, taking a long slow mouthful of his tea to keep his face schooled into a careful mask of apathy. Killer or not, the brat was fun to mess with.

“Shut up.” He said, taking another sip of his cooling tea. “Your whining is annoying.”

“I can’t help it if you’re being mean!”

“Are you stalling again?”

Eren grumbled, looking ready to throw a tantrum. Levi sincerely hoped that the brat would restrain himself. He didn’t really want to spend the rest of the night cleaning up broken crockery.

With a last reluctant grimace, Eren’s face relaxed into a defeated expression and he sighed. “Okay. Fine.”

That was more like it; at last Levi would get some answers.

“So you’ll tell me?”

“No.” The boy swallowed, looking…nervous. “But I can do one better…I can show you.”

Without any further explanation, Eren scooted further away from the coffee table and moved to a more open patch of carpet near to where the tiled floor of the kitchen began. Levi regarded the boy carefully as he crouched a little ways back from the couch and closed his eyes.

For a moment nothing happened, the brunette just sat there with his eyes closed and a little frown on his face. Levi was getting ready to state the obvious, even going so far as opening his mouth…and then the Eren burst in flames.

“Jesus!” Levi exclaimed, jumping back against the couch in alarm.

The raven’s eyes were comically wide as he looked on.

Despite being on fire, the brunette seemed completely unaffected. Blue-green flames licked up his body, but no harm came to Eren as he opened his eyes again, and as the raven watched with avid attention as the boy began to change.

The brunette’s ears became more elongated, more like that of an elf, and Levi was sure that the boy hadn’t always had a tail…

But the evidence was right there, protruding out from behind the boy. It was the same soft brown as the hair on Eren’s head, but the downy fuzz here was less like hair and more like a cat’s fur. A small tuft of slightly fluffier fur puffed out at the end and Levi watched the tail twitch back and forth as the flames began to dissipate.

Finally tearing his gaze away from the tail, Levi focused once more on the brunette’s face. Eren was rubbing at his jaw as if he was in pain and he looked up after a moment to meet the raven’s gaze.

The boy gave an awkward smile. “Ta-da…”

“…”

Levi was staring and he knew it…but there was something very clearly not human sitting in his living room. He couldn’t find any words to put forth and so he just sat there with his mouth open.

Eren shifted uncomfortably, his tail twitching behind him. “Say something?”

That was probably a good idea, a damned smashing idea, but the raven-haired man was currently having a little difficulty with the English language and his ability to speak it. He snapped his mouth shut only to open it again, still floundering. And then-

“You have a tail.”

Nailed it.

“Oh, you noticed that, did you?” Eren rolled his eyes, bouncing anxiously where he sat. “I was hoping for something a little more positive than that.”

“Uh…” Levi hesitated, grasping at any thought that came into his head, “it’s…nice?”

Smooth. Real smooth.

“Levi!” The boy whined. “Be serious!”

“I am, I’m serious. Totally serious over here…it’s a lovely tail.” Levi startled himself as a shocked laugh bubbled up and out of his mouth but he stifled it quickly and cleared his throat. “Is this…what you really look like?”

There we go. Thoughts. Proper thoughts that made sense. Levi was back in business.

Eren seemed to relax a little, rolling one shoulder in a little shrug. “It’s closer than what you saw before.”

The smaller man frowned, confusion written on his face. “What’s that mean?”

The brunette shifted a little. “I can’t show you my true form without there being significantly more damage to your home...”

Levi chose that moment to notice the burnt carpet. “Oh shit.”

“I’m sorry!”

The carpet around Eren was charred and melted; an ugly dark patch marring the otherwise flawless sea of white.

The raven sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “It’s…it’s fine, Eren. We’ll buy a rug or something to cover it up.”

Eren’s tail swished slowly, moving back and forth as the boy stared at him with wide eyes, and in the light Levi noticed that those blue-green orbs had changed as well. The brunette’s eyes were different…brighter, like the fire that had been all over his body a few moments ago. Levi broke his entranced staring at the boy’s bright orbs when he noticed Eren rubbed his jaw again.

“What’s the matter?” Levi asked, leaning forward and pointing. “What’s wrong with your mouth?”

Eren looked up, a little shocked himself. “Nothing.”

The raven arched an eyebrow, shooting the brunette a dubious stare. “Don’t give me that. Let me take a look.”

Eren shook his head, his tail curling up around in front of him defensively.

“Don’t be a brat. Come here.”

Grumbling, Eren loped across the floor to flop down by Levi’s feet. The raven slid two fingers under the brunette’s chin, tilting his head up. Bringing up his free hand, Levi tapped the boy’s cheek.

“Let’s have a look.”

After a long moment of silence in which Levi glared down at a reluctant Eren, the boy made the mistake of sticking his tongue out at the raven. Seizing the chance, Levi set aside his rules of hygiene in favour of prying the brunette’s mouth open. What he saw made his heart beat a little faster in his chest.

“Sweet Mother Theresa…”

Levi was one hundred and thirty percent sure that Eren had had perfectly normal teeth all through yesterday…smooth, naturally white teeth. The kind of teeth that shouldn’t be allowed to exist, really. Now, though, they were sharp. Still the same pearly white but more pronounced, more akin to the jaws of a predator, especially the canines.

Levi gave a low whistle. “Damn, brat.” He murmured, releasing his grip on the brunette’s head. “This explains a lot.”

“Yeah.” Eren stretched his jaw, wincing a little as he did so.

“Does it hurt?”

The boy nodded in reply. “Like a bitch.”

“Why?”

“They have to grow through every time I shift.” Eren explained, making a face. “It’s much less painful the other way. I guess it’s a deterrent, you know? So that I’m less inclined to make the change.”

It was odd how simply revealing himself to Levi rendered Eren instantly more open and the raven had to wonder if the brunette felt better having shared this secret.

Levi looked down at the boy still sitting by his feet. “So you’re…what? A were-cat or something?”

At this, Eren laughed, looking up at Levi. “Really? That’s the best you could come up with?”

“What? You’re obviously not a werewolf!”

The raven watched the boy continue to laugh, honest laughter rather than a flirtatious giggle or a dark chuckle. Eren’s laugh was light and bubbly, oddly pure, and Levi had to wonder about the irony of that as the brunette finally began to settle again.

“I’m a demonic being.” The boy revealed finally, still smiling as he shook his head.

A demon. It made more sense the longer Levi thought about it; the curiosity about every little thing, the odd hunger, their first encounter…

“And you couldn’t have just told me that?” The raven asked, reaching forward to flick Eren between the eyes.

Eren was too busy defending his case to complain. “I was worried that you were going to-wait…wait, hold on.” The boy looked up at him, hope starting to grow in teal eyes. “You’re…not mad?”

Levi paused, giving the question all the thought it deserved before replying. Eren had come into his home, cried everywhere and burned his carpet. Not exactly your average guest.

“No.” Levi said truthfully, giving a little shrug. “No, I’m not mad. A little freaked, maybe, but not mad.”

Eren’s face looked relieved and excited all at the same time and Levi wondered if it made the kid’s brain hurt to feel so many things at once.

“That’s…that’s good.” The brunette murmured, smiling at the floor. “Better than good, it’s fantastic but…I really thought you were going to be mad.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t assume so much and have a little faith in people.” The raven murmured, thinking back to Hanji saying similar things to him over the years. He shrugged. “Honestly, it’s a relief just to know that you’re not a psychotic nutcase escaped from the loony bin.”

“I’m so glad!” Eren exhaled in a relieved rush, his hands balling into fists in his little fit of excitement.

The raven smirked at the brunette’s total disregard for thinking on others’ words and arched an eyebrow at him. “Oh? Why’s that?”

“Because now I can keep you!” The boy announced happily.

“Oh.”

Oh yeah. Oh _shit_. Levi had completely forgotten about the brat’s conditions from their previous conversation at the café, but the words came rushing back to him now…

_“Option one: I tell you and you react to it well, in which case I keep you. Option two: I tell you and you react…badly…in which case I cannot allow you to live.”_

Levi’s palm came up to connect with his forehead, the smack from the contact seeming to echo around the room. Meanwhile Eren was still beaming and bouncing like a kid on Christmas, completely oblivious to the raven’s disfavour.

“This has been the best trip ever!” The brunette exclaimed, still bouncing.

“Yay…” Levi muttered monotonously, staring towards the kitchen in a moment of contemplation as he considered the situation he was now in.

On the bright side…at least Hanji would get her wish. Levi had found a person who, apparently, there was no escape from. But he could talk to Eren…and the kid was honest. Apart from the obvious downside of Eren having no qualms about killing, things weren’t looking too bad. He might as well embrace the situation.

Levi glanced over at Eren, trying to catch the brunette’s gaze. “So what does it mean for me? If you’re…keeping me?”

Eren’s smile didn’t waver as he looked up. “Well for a start, you get to live.”

The raven blinked once. “Wonderful. What about the rest?”

The boy just shrugged in nonchalance, too happy to care it seemed. “There will be plenty of time to go over the details later. Just let me have my moment.”

“Moment, schmoment. It’s my life you’re crashing here.” Levi muttered while the boy gave a pleased hum from his spot on the carpet.

The raven cast a weary glance at the clock in the kitchen, his eyes widening as he noticed the time. It was already seven-thirty! The time had passed so quickly after everything that had happened and suddenly Levi felt every one of the day’s long hours start to weight him down.

He yawned, muffling the sound against the back of his hand. “Speaking of crashing, you’ve been in town for a while at least, right?” The raven-haired man ventured, suddenly feeling quite drowsy.

Eren look up at him, his smile faltering. “Yeah…”

“And where have you been staying so far?”

“Here and there.” The brunette admitted, albeit sheepishly.

Levi stared at him. “Oh great. So you’re a stray. I let a stray into my flat.”

The deadpan expression and bored tone didn’t seem to register as sarcasm to the brunette, who narrowed his eyes. It really was too easy to mess with this kid. Eren glared up at him, tail twitching in irritation as the pair engaged in a mini-staring competition. Levi remained unmoving, completely still with his face perfectly blank, waiting for the brunette to snap first under the steadily growing tension. Naturally, Eren was the first to break the silence, setting off a rapid-fire burst of insults.

“Meany.”

“Baby.”

“Grouch.”

“Guilty as charged.”

More glaring before Eren exhaled through his nose and let his head fall forward to bump against Levi’s knee. The raven didn’t push him away, so the brunette stayed like that and for a moment there was comfortable silence.

“Can I…stay here?”

Levi had been anticipating the question, but the man still made a face when it came, wrinkling his nose at the thought. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea…”

The boy lifted his head quickly, instantly starting to beseech the other man.

“Please, Levi? I’ll be good. I can be good, I swear. I’ll do what you say and I’ll be quiet. I can even help out! Please?”

Eren hugged Levi’s leg, tail swishing eagerly from side to side as wide pleading teal orbs implored. Levi rolled his eyes at the display, staring blankly over at the balcony and hearing Eren’s litany of ‘please, please, Levi? Pretty please?’ as he sighed.

“If I say yes…” Levi paused as Eren’s face brightened and his tail swished even more violently in excitement, “I haven’t yet, but if I do…what guarantee can you give me that you won’t try to smother me in the night?”

The brunette couldn’t seem to stop the short laugh that escaped his throat, but he made up for it by instantly looking repentant.

It was a fair question and frankly the only real reason Levi could think of that was stopping him from just giving in and letting Eren stay. He didn’t want to be lonely forever and if that meant that he had to step out of his comfort zone then so be it.

“Have you ever thought of locking your door?” The brat offered, smirking.

“Cheeky little shit. You’re going to have to do better than that.”

A frustrated whine left the boy and his tail thumped lightly against the floor. “I’ve already told you that I won’t hurt you. Or at least, I’ll try my very best not too.”

Levi looked the brunette in the eyes sternly, searching for any sign that he could be making the wrong decision. Eren had already made it clear that he wanted to stay around Levi, even going so far as ‘keeping’ him, whatever the hell that even meant. It wouldn’t make sense for the brat to go to all that trouble only to hurt his prize.

“Fine.” Levi answered at last, quickly moving on. “But only because I don’t want to be the one responsible for some kid…demon…whatever, sleeping on the street.” He lied, leaving out the part about him being an anti-social loner. “There will be conditions, though. You can stay, but tomorrow you, mister, will be answering a lot of questions.”

Eren nodded vigorously, letting an excited sound escape his throat as he hugged the shorter man’s leg and practically tripped over a string of ‘thank yous’.

“Yeah, yeah, hurray. Whatever. Now get off.” Levi commanded, prying the brunette from his limb as he rose from the sofa. “ _You_ are going to go get cleaned up while _I_ find some place for you to sleep.”

“Huh? What do you mean, ‘get cleaned up’?”

Levi fixed Eren with a stare, grey eyes travelling up and down the boy before settling on his face.

“Brat. I don’t know where the hell you’ve been. All I know is that you’ve killed at least one person and it’s very likely that you’ve been living in the streets so shut up, don’t argue and go get your ass in the shower right now.”

Eren hesitated, frowning. “Shower?”

“Good God…” Levi muttered, running a hand over his face and up through his hair, “for the love of fuck, _please_ tell me you know what a shower is?”

At the boy’s head shake Levi threw his hands into the air and let out a frustrated growl.

“Of course, of course you don’t. Fine, whatever. It’s not like this was going to be anywhere near normal anyway, we might as well step over what boundaries are left. Follow me.”

Grabbing Eren by the arm, towing the brat through the living room and into his own room, shoving him towards the bathroom.

“Eren, meet shower. Shower, this is Eren. You two are going to become very closely acquainted so get used to the idea.”

Eren took a dubious glance at the white tiled room that was Levi’s bathroom.

“What do I-?”

“You go in there-no! You take your clothes off first, idiot. _Wait until I’m gone! Don’t just start stripping!_ ”

After explaining and then demonstrating how to operate the shower, Levi left Eren to go and search for some extra blankets.

Levi only had a small apartment. It had been perfect for himself, but all of a sudden the place seemed smaller than it had ever done before. There was the kitchen, living room and dining room all conjoined and a single bedroom with a balcony. The living room also had a balcony, this one a little larger, which was accessible through a set of glass sliding doors. Other than the bathroom and a small laundry room, that was it.

Having no guestroom or any other means to make another bed, Eren would have to deal with sleeping on the couch. At any rate, it had to be better than sleeping outside in the streets. If the kid had any complaints to make, Levi could always lock him out on the balcony for the night.

The raven turned upon hearing the sound of the bathroom door opening, ready for whatever report the brat would have to make about the wonders of the shower when-

“ _Jesus_ Eren!” Levi exclaimed, spinning on the spot and slapping a hand over his eyes. “Put some goddamned clothes on!”

“But I don’t have-”

“Then grab a towel!” The raven growled over his shoulder. “For fucks sake, warn me next time you’re going to just wander out and flash me!”

The next time Eren emerged he was safely wrapped in a towel, much to the relief of the raven-haired man. Levi lent Eren some pyjamas until they could figure out something better and then pushed the brat onto the sofa.

“Eren, couch. Couch, Eren. Okay, introductions complete. Goodnight.”

Levi turned on his heel, marching across the room and flicking off the light in the kitchen, throwing the adjoining rooms into darkness.

“L-Levi?”

“What?”

A pause.

“Thank you.”

“Go to sleep, brat.”

Levi moved past the sofa and disappeared into his room, closing the door behind him. He stared at the lock for a long moment, wondering if he should take Eren’s advice from earlier and lock the door tonight. He turned the lock, hearing it click shut.

 

Out in the living room, the brunette heard the sound too.

Eren sighed.

Such a response was only natural, the boy supposed, but rubbed a hand over his heart anyway. The demon took a moment to look around himself. This was more than he had ever expected from his human. Nestling further into the cushions, the brunette closed his eyes. Maybe Levi wasn’t so mean after all. Eren knew now that he was fond of the petite raven and he thought that maybe, just maybe under all that snark and moody exterior, Levi was fond of him too.

“Goodnight, Levi!”

“Shut up, Eren.”

But maybe it would take a little more time for him to show it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the kudos is building up now and that is AMAZING! And I was thinking of writing a special chapter for Eren and Levi when the kudos gets to 100. I’m not sure what I’d do but if you guys think that it’s a good idea, let me know and I’ll get around to it! Suggestions and questions are always welcome!


	9. Twenty Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Yay!  
> Some more development on the ereri front, questions are answered, confusion happens and, of course, a broom-a-lanche!  
> Enjoy!

“The shadow is darkest over those who feel it least and allow its evil effects to go on.” – Pearl Ne E.

***

 

Pain.

Not an unusual thing to feel after walking smack into your own bedroom door, but unexpected nonetheless. Levi groaned, glaring down at the doorknob and wondering in his still hazy mind why he had thought that locking his door had been a good idea.

Switching the lock back, the raven turned the handle and pushed on the door.

Resistance. Not just a little bit either.

Levi leant more of his weight against the wood but the damned door still didn’t budge. At this point the raven-haired man was starting to get irritated, still slowly waking up. Bracing himself, he pushed his shoulder against the door and shoved, pushing until the wood moved. It was a slow process and Levi didn’t wait to get the whole door open. As soon as he had a sizeable gap, the raven squeezed through enough to see what was in the way.

Oh. That was why.

On the other side of Levi’s bedroom door lay a figure, curled up and draped in a mess of blankets and sofa cushions.

So that whole shenanigan about inviting the brat into his home hadn’t been another of his messed up dreams? Darn.

With a sigh, Levi lent against the door and pushed harder, shoving the brunette along the floor until there was enough space for him to squeeze out of his room. He stumbled a little when he tripped on one of the cushions, cursing quietly and turning to see if he’d woken the brat.

Eren just made a sleepy sound and hugged his blankets closer, tail twitching slightly in his sleep. Levi’s face smoothed out of its little begrudging scowl as he regarded the kid. The brunette looked peaceful enough so the raven decided to let him be for a while longer.

Padding out further into the living room, Levi noticed his tripod still set up from the day before.

“Shit.”

Cursing under his breath, Levi ran a hand over his face. He had forgotten to film again. At this rate it would serve him right if Mike fired him.

Today. Today he would get it done…after Eren answered a few questions.

Moving into the kitchen, Levi set about making himself a cup of coffee. A few minutes later, Levi returned to his doorway with his caffeine in hand.

Amazingly Eren was still soundly asleep, nestled deeply in his mound of blankets. How he’d managed to ignore all the noise from the kitchen, Levi did not know.

“Oi.” The raven muttered, rubbing his eye and nudging the brat with his foot. “Wake up.”

Eren’s eyes flashed open, alarm written clearly on the boy’s face as he jerked upright with a sleepy groan. The brunette scampered in a panicked half-circle before spotting Levi and taking in his surroundings. It seemed as though both of them hadn’t believed the situation.

A drowsy little smile spread on Eren’s face and he stretched, tail stiffening out behind him along with the rest of his muscles as the boy arched his back.

“Morning.” The brunette relaxed with a little sigh, flopping back down onto the blankets.

Levi blinked at him. “Really? You sleep through the kettle boiling a few feet away but wake up after one little tap?”

The brunette made a lethargic sound and attempted to shrug, failing in his stretched out position.

The raven clicked his tongue, foot tapping against the carpet. “Who said you could put my cushions on the floor?”

Eren blinked up at Levi before glancing down at the cushions in question and opening his mouth. “I-”

“That’s right, no one said that.” The raven cut him off, not in the mood for any of the brat’s excuses so soon after waking up. “Go dust them off and put them back. Pronto.”

The brunette watched Levi pad over to the kitchen, still dressed in his pyjamas. He looked different in his sleepy state, soft and warm without his usual sharp comments. Not wanting to irk this drowsy specimen, Eren hurried to carry the sofa cushions to the balcony and beat out any dust before gingerly returning them to their place on the couch.

“Are you hungry?” The raven mumbled from the kitchen, bent over to glance into the fridge.

Eren looked over, noticing the idle way in which Levi scratched at his stomach. The dark material of his pyjama shirt rose up with the action, revealing a little glimpse of pale skin and the delightful ripple of muscle as the smaller male straightened to cast a bored look over at the brunette.

“Um…” Eren mumbled, trying to remember the question.

Thankfully Levi didn’t seem to notice his ogling, blinking sleepily back towards the fridge. “I only have eggs, consider it a warning.” The raven muttered, reaching in to snatch up the carton in question. “Complain and I’ll dangle you from the balcony by your ankles.”

“O-Okay.”

Suddenly the food didn’t seem quite so interesting, as much as appeasing the man making it.

 

Levi made scrambled eggs and toast, mixing in a little cheese but other than that not really trying anything too fancy. The raven had an odd feeling that Eren was watching him as he moved about the kitchen but whenever he turned, the brat would be looking somewhere else.

It was some trippy shit, especially first thing in the morning.

Eren learned about the wonders of the toaster. Levi spared a few moments to tell the boy more about it after the kid had nearly jumped out of his skin when the toast shot up out of the slots.

“Holy shit!” Eren exclaimed, eyes wide as he ducked behind the bench. Teal eyes peeped over the top of the counter. “Did you see that?”

“Relax, brat. It’s breakfast, not an assassin.”

Slowly the brunette re-emerged, rounding the bench and edging in for a closer look.

“Will you show me how it works?”

“Maybe tomorrow.”

Eren gave a sly little chuckle at the comment. “So I’ll still be here tomorrow?”

Levi rolled his eyes at the kid’s cheeky tone.

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“On how many stupid questions you ask me.”

By the time breakfast was ready and the pair of them had sat at the table, the clock in the kitchen read 9:42am. Eren sat inspecting his food, taking tentative bites here and there. Levi regarded him over the rim of his cup, a fresh batch of coffee washing over his tastebuds. As happy as the brunette seemed to be, apparently he was still smart enough to be cautious. That was something that the raven could respect.

Normally the raven would eat his first meal of the day in total silence, but with company around it seemed like as good a time as any to start asking his questions. Eren had nearly finished his food anyway.

“Alright,” Levi said suddenly, causing the brunette to jump a little, “lay the deal on me. What exactly have I gotten myself into here?”

Eren blinked at him across the table. “Huh?”

The raven’s grey eyes narrowed a fraction and he pointed at the kid with his fork.

“Don’t,” he muttered in warning, “you said you were going to talk. So talk.”

The brunette sighed. “Okay. What do you want to know?”

The raven paused, glancing away as he began to sift through a range of questions in his head. The boy ate the last few bites of his egg as Levi thought for a moment.

“Anything you can tell me.” The raven decided at last, looking back to Eren. “What are you doing here? Why do we keep running into each other? What are your intentions now that you’re here and I know what you are? I want to know everything.”

“Everything?”

Levi nodded once. “I don’t like surprises.”

The brunette smiled a little at that, chuckling. “That suits you.”

Another flickering glare as Levi held up a finger. “Uh-uh, no flirting.” The raven scolded, and then hesitated. “Not until I have a little clarity, anyway.”

Bright eyes flickered up playfully at the comment Levi had tacked on at the end, but Eren relented at the raven’s stern glare.

“Okay, okay.” The brunette snickered lightly, glancing down at the table as he steepled his hands together, resting his elbows on either side of his plate. “I’ll try to behave myself.”

“Ha.” The raven gave a single dry laugh at the suggestion.

Eren’s eyes flashed impishly but he let the comment slide in favour of answering. “First of all, I’m just as confused as you are about why we keep crossing paths.” The boy shrugged. “It’s a mystery to me as well.”

Levi cast a dubious glance at the brat, scooping up another bit of egg. “I don’t believe you.”

Eren chuckled at that, like he’d expected the answer, and moved right along. “As far as being here goes, I’m kind of in hiding.”

That comment caught Levi’s attention and he looked up with a frown.

“In hiding?” He prompted, hoping for further detail.

Eren just nodded. “I guess that’s the best way to describe it.”

Apparently it wouldn’t be quite such an easy thing for the raven to have his questions answered. Eren was happy to talk, but it was becoming clear that the boy also wanted Levi to work a little for his information. It was only fair.

Levi played along. “What could you be hiding from?”

The pleased glint in Eren’s eyes was impossible to miss and Levi was certain that he had done something right.

The brunette gave a little shrug, glancing off to one side. “The same kinds of things that your kind would hide from.” He answered, looking back to Levi with a small smile. “We’re not all that different in that respect. Some trouble went down back home so I came here to lie low until things blow over.”

Not so different after all. Eren sounded like any teenager you might find on the street, aside from his lack of knowledge concerning household appliances.

“Right.” Levi nodded. “I guess that explains why you’re ‘blending in’.” The raven glanced up. “What kind of trouble?”

“Nothing I can’t handle, not to worry.” Eren assured him.

Levi didn’t feel quite so assured as the boy might have hoped.

“I’m entitled to worry if I want.” The raven uttered. “There’s a demon from hell sitting at my table.”

“Surely you should feel honoured?” The brunette laughed jokingly. “How many of your race can say that they’ve exchanged conversation with a demonic being over breakfast?”

Levi scoffed. “Honestly, I wish I was one of the poor fuckers who didn’t know you existed.”

The brat went quiet for a moment and Levi looked up curiously to see what had caught his attention. But Eren wasn’t distracted, just a little disheartened by the raven’s words, it seemed.

“Sorry.” The boy mumbled, eyes downcast.

Levi hated the twinge of guilt that tweaked in his chest, but that didn’t make the feeling go away. The raven experienced one of the rare moments where he wished his pride wouldn’t stop him from apologising. But to say he didn’t mean the words would be a lie, and even Eren didn’t deserve that.

“Don’t worry about it.” Levi murmured instead, lifting one shoulder in a little shrug. “It’s not like we can go back and change anything, I can live with that. Things were simpler before, but I didn’t mean that you’re…arrival…made things worse. Just different.”

“Levi?”

“Hm?”

“Do you hate me?”

Grey eyes flicked up to look at the dejected looking brunette. What was with this kid and all the personal questions? As extraordinary as their situation was, they still barely knew one another. If the raven was honest, he wasn’t a hundred percent sure of the answer himself, Levi opted for the truth once again.

“I don’t really know how I feel about you, brat.”

An honest answer for an honest kid. For now, it was the best that Levi could do. Everything was still so raw, so new with them, that the raven felt as if treading water was the only way for him to stay afloat.

Surprisingly, Eren managed a smile, glancing up. “I’ll see what I can do to change that.”

It was a start.

“Good luck with that.” Levi muttered, taking a sip of coffee.

He may have sounded blunt and unfeeling, but in truth the raven was glad that the brunette seemed to have cheered up a little. While he didn’t like what that could mean for his feelings towards the brat, he could be relieved that at least Eren didn’t look like a kicked puppy anymore.

Eren gave a little hum and continued. “As for my intentions…obviously since you know what I am, you’re a threat.” The boy smiled lazily, leaning forward a little. “Naturally I’ll be staying quite close by to ensure that you don’t go blabbing my secrets to anyone.”

Levi groaned and rolled his eyes. “Why would I?” He countered. “Do you have any idea how little people care nowadays? If I ran out screaming that there was a demon in my apartment, I’d be taken straight to an asylum and locked up for the rest of my miserable life.” The raven scoffed as he picked up his cup. “Trust me when I say you’re secret is safe.”

All at once, the brunette’s smile grew brighter. “Excellent.” He cheered, clapping his hands together once. “That makes things much easier.”

The raven arched an eyebrow, taking a sip of coffee and making a face when he found it had grown cold. “Oh?” He muttered around the bitter taste in his mouth.

“Yes.” The boy leaned back in his chair, resting his hands in his lap. “If I know I can trust you then we can have a lot more fun with this.”

Levi’s eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms. “Right…and does that have anything to do with you keeping me?”

“Yes.” The boy grinned.

The raven remained stoic and calm. “Like a pet or something?”

Eren gave a snort. “Kind of.” He chuckled at the thought. “It’s a similar concept I suppose.”

“Great.” Levi deadpanned, letting out a sigh. “Hurray for me.”

If Eren picked up on Levi’s less than thrilled attitude, he did a marvellous job of ignoring it.

“Don’t worry;” the boy all but cooed over at him, “it shouldn’t change your life too much.”

“What a relief.”

Eren waved off the monotonous reply. “I’ll let you know any other details as they come up.”

“Marvellous.” Levi responded, scooping up his fork again. “Okay, so what about normal food? That people have. Do you have to eat it?”

Eren gave a sheepish chuckle and scratched behind his ear. “It’s nice and all but doesn’t really do anything to sustain me. I can still eat it.”

Levi swallowed his mouthful, steely eyes never leaving the boy. “But it doesn’t make any difference?”

The brunette shook his head and stretched. “I don’t strictly _need_ to have food, but I can still taste it. It isn’t necessary for my survival though, no.”

The raven-haired man paused in his eating to shoot the boy a dubious look. “Right. So making you breakfast was a complete waste of time, then?”

Eren sent him a repentant smile, nudging the raven’s leg with his foot under the table by way of an apology. “I can still appreciate the effort.”

The raven rolled his eyes and stabbed another piece of egg with his fork.

Letting Eren’s words roll around in his head for a moment; Levi recalled their conversation from the café and grey eyes sought blue-green.

“So you…” Levi paused, trying to collect his thoughts, “you eat…”

Eren picked up on the raven’s suggestion, finishing the trailed off sentence.

“Humans.”

Suddenly Levi didn’t feel quite so hungry anymore. He set the fork back down and pushed his plate away, watching as Eren pulled it over to finish the food for him. How ironic. The brunette smiled as he stacked the two empty plates, setting the cutlery on top.

“I still find that a little difficult to believe.” Levi managed after a long moment.

“Why’s that?”

“Because look at you! Well, it doesn’t really count now with the teeth and what not. But before, when I thought you were, you know, human, you looked like you couldn’t have hurt a fly even if you’d wanted to.”

Eren smiled brightly. “Was that a compliment?”

“What? No!” A pause. “Maybe…” Levi looked away, diverting his gaze off to one side with a curse. “Shut up!”

The brunette just laughed quietly to himself. “Well then, I think that’s enough for one day.”

Levi looked back at the boy and blinked. “Wait, that’s it? How was that everything?”

“It isn’t,” The boy confirmed with a shake of his head, “not by a long shot, but I find that it’s best to dish out information like this in short intervals. It’ll give you time to absorb everything.”

The raven narrowed his eyes at the brat, glowering for good measure. “Hrmph.”

Levi got up, collecting the plates and ignoring the amused chuckle that came from Eren as he marched into the kitchen to put the plates into the dishwasher.

“What’s that?”

Levi turned, jumping a little when he found Eren right beside him. The brunette offered a smile, but he pouted a little when the raven took a step back to place some distance between them. The boy pointed, directing Levi’s attention back to the front.

“Oh. That’s a dishwasher. It pretty much does what its name says.” The raven-haired man said with a shrug. “It’s quicker than washing by hand.”

“Tell me more.”

“First, I need to get changed.”

The rest of the morning was spent leading an excitable Eren all over the flat and demonstrating the use of each thing that the brunette didn’t understand. For the most part Levi felt that the whole process was unnecessary and a little annoying, but Eren’s reactions were almost worth the effort.

Levi snorted when Eren managed to smack himself in the face with the microwave door, and again when he caused an avalanche of brooms to descend after opening the supply cupboard in the laundry room.

“Who even has that many brooms?”

“I do.”

Levi couldn’t help but chuckle at the brat’s pouting as he mumbled something inaudible, rubbing his head where the broomstick had struck him. The brunette cheered up considerably after the raven hauled him up off the floor and ruffled the kid’s hair a little before turning his attention to the scattered brooms.

At 1:30 Levi had to call the boy’s fun to an end.

“Alright, that’s enough for now.” The raven announced, heading for the living room. “I have a video to make.”

“A what?” Eren asked, trailing after him.

“You’ll see.” Levi replied, turning on his heel and smirked as the brunette nearly tripped over trying to stop himself from crashing into the raven.

Steadying hands caught the boy’s shoulders, setting him back on his feet.

“Brat.” Levi muttered with a little chuckle, flicking Eren between the eyes. “Now be quiet and go sit over there. No talking until I say you can; I don’t want your voice piping up in the middle of filming.”

Levi guided the brunette over to a space on the carpet by the TV, instructing him once again to be as quiet as humanly (or in this case, demonly) possible. The raven went to check out his camera, giving the lens a wipe down and making sure that everything was in proper order before pressing the record button.

 

Eren looked on from a safe distance as the raven sat himself down on the sofa, now cleared of all blankets and with the cushions set back in their proper place, and began to talk to himself.

Strange.

Levi’s eyes were mostly focused on the little device perched upon what had been described to Eren as a ‘tripod’. He wondered greatly what the little stand was for, especially after all the times he had been threatened with it.

Levi didn’t move from the sofa…in fact he didn’t move much at all apart from subtle shifts and the occasional flick of his wrist whenever he moved to brush hair out of his eyes. There were quite a few differences between Levi and Eren that the boy could spot from where he sat. First of all, while Eren often had a hard time keeping still and looked around at everything, Levi remained in the same position for quite some time as he spoke. Other than his lips moving as he spoke and the occasional shift in facial expressions, Levi hardly moved.

From his place on the floor, Eren listened to the raven speak. He didn’t really take in many of the words, focusing more on the tone Levi had. His voice was quite intriguing; it held a strange authority and yet the man barely had to raise his voice from its usual quiet tone. Most of the time the smaller man sounded like he didn’t really care much about what was happening around him, much like his limited range in facial expressions, but his eyes held contradiction. Gunmetal grey and yet oddly translucent, like if you looked hard enough you could stare right through him. Those watchful orbs were always sharp, always taking in details, and once they had you, you would know that you had every last bit of their attention.

They were timeless eyes, Eren realised. The kind one would expect to see in an old painting. Clear like water and yet reflecting soft colour. Beautiful…and terrifying in their intensity.

At last, after the longest fifteen minutes of Eren’s existence, the raven-haired man stopped talking and stood up, returning to the camera and holding down a button. Grey eyes flickered over to meet bright blue-green as Levi began to pack away the camera.

“Filming’s over, brat. You can talk again.”

Eren wasted no time in doing just that, blurting out the first coherent questions he could form. “What was all that? Who were you talking to?”

“The camera.” Levi explained, looking up and over at Eren with a little frown. “I thought I explained this earlier, before the broom incident?”

Eren glanced off to one side. “I might have been a little distracted…”

“By what?”

“…nothing.” Definitely not the sight of Levi having to stand on his toes to reach the top cupboard when he was putting the clean dishes away. Nope. “Would you tell me again? Please?”

Grey eyes narrowed in suspicion but Levi continued all the same. “Ugh. Fine, this thing here,” Levi held up the camera as he freed it from the tripod, “records images. So everything that I said back there will be on here, stored in its memory. Now all I have to do is put the video onto my computer, edit the shit parts and voilà.”

Eren stared between Levi and the camera for a moment. “Right.”

Levi shot him a blank look. “Tell me you understood at least some of that?”

“Yeah, some of it I got.”

The raven rolled his eyes. “I’ll show you more when I edit.”

Eren smiled at that, loping over on all fours to sit by the sofa. Levi glanced back at him, picking up the tripod and holding it over one shoulder as he appraised the boy’s form.

At last he spoke his mind. “You’re not going to look like that all the time, are you?”

“Why?” Eren stretched out before crawling up onto the couch. “Does it bother you?”

“No…it’s fine.” The raven answered, giving a nonchalant shrug. “But what if somebody sees you?”

The brunette seemed to think about that for a moment, his brow creasing slightly in concentration. And then his face brightened in a way that had Levi instantly worried.

“We could always-”

“Eren, if you are about to suggest that we kill someone just because they’ve seen you then I am going to have to beat you to death with this tripod.”

The brunette laughed, holding his hands up in defence when Levi glowered at him.

“Sorry, sorry.” Eren forced out between giggles. “The imagery made me laugh.”

Through the bout of snickering, a thought occurred to the raven. “Would that work?” He asked suddenly.

“What?” Eren looked up, still grinning away. “You beating me to death?” The grin turned wry. “What a charming question.”

“I’m just curious.” Levi assured the boy, carrying the tripod over to where he normally set it down behind the TV.

He turned, dusting his hands as he made his way back towards the sofa, but paused at the look on Eren’s face.

Teal eyes flashed as a sly smile curved the boy’s lips. “Planning to murder me?”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Levi found himself saying, shocking himself when he realised that he meant it, “but I am curious about your level of mortality.”

Eren considered the words, rolling his shoulders in a shrug. “I’m not mortal. So no, you couldn’t beat me to death.”

Levi nodded, absorbing the new information. “But it would still hurt?” He pried further, padding closer to the sofa.

“It could.” The brunette answered, taking on the tone that he got when he had to choose his words carefully. “I have two…modes, shall we say.” Eren explained slowly, giving Levi adequate time to think on his words. “I can either experience no feeling whatsoever or a whole lot of everything. It’s interesting.”

Levi found himself frowning at the words, not quite sure if he understood correctly. “You mean you can just… _turn off_ pain?”

“Not exactly.” Eren made a face, as if his next words would be hard to explain. “It’s not just pain, it’s… _everything_. It’s another of the limitations designed to keep my kind more…vulnerable I suppose.”

“Vulnerable?” Levi enquired, taking a seat on the arm of the sofa.

Eren nodded, drumming his fingers against the cushions in a beat without rhythm. “When I choose not to feel, that deprives me of every touch, taste and sensation.” The brunette’s eyes took on a strange almost hazy quality; teal orbs unfocused like he was recalling a memory. “I would still be able feel the pressure if someone touched me, but there wouldn’t be any _feeling_. No accompanying sensation. You could stab me and all I would feel is the push.”

“Yikes.” The smaller male murmured.

He noticed with relief that Eren’s eyes seemed clearer again and the drumming of his fingers ceased.

“Before…I’ve never had a reason to really feel anything. It’s mostly barren charred earth and hellfire over the other side anyway. Who’d want to feel that? But here you have so much to experience. It’s a little overwhelming. When I feel, it’s like nothing you could know and that’s disorienting. Hence, choosing to experience the senses renders my kind vulnerable.”

Levi listened to Eren talk as he went to fetch his laptop from his room. The raven sat himself down on the floor in front of the sofa, letting the brunette take the couch. The boy lay on his stomach with his feet swinging up behind him in the air, and his tail hung down off the lounge to curl about Levi’s feet. Eren had a lot of stories to tell, and he was more than willing to describe every little detail about sensory deprivation with the raven.

“So you can’t taste anything?”

“Not when I’m deprived, no.”

“But what does nothing taste like?”

A pause.

“Think about how your mouth normally tastes. It’s like that, but with everything.”

“Gee, how exciting.”

“Yeah.”

Eren had his own questions to ask as the raven arranged clips of his video, cutting off the first part of the recording.

“Why’d you do that?”

“Because no one needs to see me walk on like a total noob and sit down.”

“I like that part.”

“Tough luck, it’s going.”

“Aw.”

The moments of silence were few and far between for once, but when the quiet did envelope them it was comfortable. Unlike with most company that Levi had experienced, there was no pressure to talk with Eren, no need to fill up the silence.

“What about smell?” The raven asked.

A gentle hum came from the brunette and Levi stiffened slightly as he felt the soft graze of fingers brush his hair.

“I can still smell,” Eren spoke up before Levi could scold him, “but scents are categorised into different levels of energy rather than their actual smell. It comes in very handy.”

Levi frowned, feeling his brow furrow as he typed away. “What do you mean? You can’t smell energy.”

“No, _you_ can’t smell energy.” Eren corrected. “I can. It’s how demonic creatures can discern what can and can’t help them to gain power.”

“Explain.”

A sigh. “Well…it’s kind of like static; an electric kind of burn that signifies a creature’s inner strength. That’s how I would be able to tell if another creature like myself could present a threat.”

“How so?”

“If it has a stronger…let’s say flavour…than me, then I should avoid it and bide my time. But if it’s weaker, then I can consume it and take its energy.”

“Cool.”

“Damn right.”

 

It was 3:45 by the time the raven had finished editing and then uploading his video, exchanging disjointed conversation with Eren all the while. It was nice to simply spend time with another person, just chatting. Even if the things Levi was hearing made his brain hurt a little.

After spending several hours answering questions sent in by students and replying to some emails from Mike, it was growing dark outside. The laptop was shut down and stored away in Levi’s room and the raven set about searching for some food after his stomach reminded him that neither he nor Eren had eaten since breakfast.

The fridge was still looking rather empty so Levi ordered Chinese, feeling more than a little lazy that particular evening, and the pair ate in amiable silence.

Once dinner had concluded, Levi showered and then shoved the brunette into the bathroom as well, making sure that Eren understood that this would be a daily routine. Once they were both clean, Eren leaped back onto the sofa and the raven turned on the TV for him. He was ready to go and look for a book to read when a hand caught his sleeve.

Eren glanced up at the smaller male with wide eyes and a little smile. “Sit with me?”

Levi rolled his eyes at the brunette’s pleading expression.

“Stop with the eyes, already. Geez.”

He gave in quickly, however, trudging to the sofa and sitting at the end left vacant. As soon as he was seated, Eren moved. Levi watched the brat give a yawn, stretching and crawling back across the cushions to flop across the raven’s legs.

Levi looked down as the brat made himself comfortable, shifting so that he was laying on his side with his head in the smaller man’s lap.

Great.

The raven scowled at the television, not really paying attention to the movie playing. Instead he focused on the sound of Eren breathing and the gentle shift that came with each breath he took. It felt strange, both totally foreign and painfully familiar. This sort of thing hadn’t happened to him since high school; not since he’d been the one in Eren’s place.

It hurt…but at the same time it didn’t.

Eren wasn’t Erwin. He wouldn’t bring the same kind of pain and Levi had to believe that. They stayed like that for a long time and at some point Levi dozed off. Eren nestled himself closer to the raven, turning off the TV in favour of watching the smaller male as he slept.

A strange possessiveness washed over the brunette as he ran a feather light touch over the other man’s hair, tracing down past the gentle pulse that could be felt in Levi’s temple and eventually coming to rest against the man’s chest.

Eren’s eyes flared a little, near glowing in the darkness as the boy settled to sleep.

“You’re mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What’s that? COUCH NAPPING?! O_O Heaven’s above, whatever will I do with these two?


	10. Baby Let's Play House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, lovelies, I've been working like a mad woman because this fic has received over 100 kudos and I am SO PLEASED that there will be two chapters tonight! Woo!  
> For now, some daily routine for my two darlings!  
> Enjoy!

“You let me know everything’s alright and I’m hooked on a feeling…” – Blue Swede.

***

 

 

Movement, followed by an odd warmth.

Levi could feel himself rising slowly from his state of sleep…but why? Where was he?

There was a strange and foreign weight laying on him…and it moved.

Levi jerked upright with a garbled sound of panic, managing to send Eren tumbling off the sofa. The brunette landed on the carpet with a squeak, rolling onto his back and sitting up.

Both males looked at one another, eyes wide and clouded with the haze of sleep.

“Wha-” Eren paused to yawn and rub at his eyes. “What the heck was that for?”

Levi blinked once. Twice.

“What the fuck were you doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why were you..? Why were we..?”

A very distinguishable look of ‘oh fuck’ crossed Eren’s features. “You fell asleep.” The boy offered, scrambling for words for a moment. “And I-I didn’t want to wake you so I just…I left you and then I got tired and-”

Levi waved a hand for Eren to stop, rubbing his own eyes and sighing. “Christ, you couldn’t have at least moved me down the couch a bit?” The raven grumbled. “I slept at a weird fucking angle.”

Eren watched Levi carefully, like he was a dangerous animal that could get spooked or provoked if he moved or spoke too suddenly.

“You’re not…upset?” The boy asked after a moment, both eyebrows raised in surprise.

In all honesty, Levi got why the kid was shocked. Levi hadn’t exactly demonstrated a gentle or understanding personality thus far, it was only natural that the brat would feel jumpy in a situation such as this. True, Levi was a little irritated at having woken up in a panic but he wasn’t pissed.

The raven offered the brunette a shrug. “It could’ve been worse.” He allowed, glancing up at the ceiling for a moment. “But for God’s sake, warn me next time.”

“O-Okay.”

The raven-haired man stretched as Eren got up slowly, the smaller of the two males rolling his shoulder in attempt to work out the kinks.

Levi winced at a twinge in his back.

Fuck. This was why he never slept on the couch. He felt stiff and awful as he got up, ignoring the anxious fidgeting of a certain brunette nearby.

“Levi-”

“I’ll deal with you later.” The raven groaned, stretching. “But first I need a shower.”

 

Whatever dealing with that Levi had originally planned was quickly thrown aside in favour of finding food when he stepped out of the shower.

Breakfast was pancakes, made with the few ingredients of milk, flour and eggs that Levi had left in his kitchen. Eren got through the shower himself as the raven cooked, granting the smaller man a rare moment of solitude to reflect in.

Levi realised that he hadn’t been solidly alone in several days now. It felt strange just thinking about it, and the more he did dwell on the thought the more he realised that being around company was damned exhausting work.

The brunette re-emerged as the raven was dishing up, not bothering to plate the food separately. Eren had already admitted that he didn’t need food to survive, so Levi wouldn’t dirty any further dishes on his behalf. No sir.

The kid didn’t complain or comment, in fact Eren remained oddly quiet while Levi ate, resting on the sofa and staring up at the ceiling.

The silence was another familiar thing that suddenly seemed so strange. In the raven’s mind, Eren came hand in hand with noise, trailing trouble close behind him. To have the brunette not only silent but _behaving_ made Levi feel like he should be keeping an extra close eye on the kid.

When breakfast was over and the dishes were stacked away in their proper place, Levi got to work planning the details of his first tutorial. He had to write down adequate instructions to accompany the film which he planned to get done in a day or two. Unfortunately for the raven, a certain bright-eyed brat had other ideas.

“Hey, Levi?” Eren piped up at last, still looking up at the ceiling.

No response came and Eren rolled onto his stomach to look over at the raven. The smaller man was writing hastily on some paper, the hand that held a pen moving with strict precision. But Eren would not be so easily deterred.

“Levi! Leeeeeviii…”

“ _What?_ ”

Finally. The brunette smiled a little in triumph and called over at the other man. “Let’s go somewhere!”

“No.”

“Aw!”

“I said no, Eren.”

“But-”

“Some of us have things to do.”

A frustrated little whine left the brunette’s throat and he slid from the sofa to crawl over towards the table.

“You’ve been sitting there for _ages_ and I’m bored!”

Levi lifted an arm to scowl down at the teal-eyed brat curling around his chair on the floor.

“Go watch the TV and stop pestering me.”

“It’s no fun without you.” Eren pouted, tugging at the raven’s jeans.

“I’m busy.”

“But Levi, I really am bored.” Eren persisted, arms winding about the raven’s leg as he sat up. “Can’t we do something? Please, please?”

“No.”

“Pretty please?” The boy pleaded, resting his chin atop Levi’s knee and bringing out his very best puppy eyes.

“Eren.”

The brunette had a feeling that one last good whine should do the trick. “Pleeease?”

The raven groaned, resting his head against the table. “Fine.” He growled. “Fine, shut up. We can go somewhere.”

“Excellent!” Eren cheered, hugging Levi’s leg closer. “Where are we going?”

“To the supermarket. My fridge is nearly empty.”

If the raven expected anything less than a groan of disappointment, he was sadly mistaken. Eren seemed far more excited than anyone ever should be about going to do grocery shopping, practically vibrating with excitement where he sat. And the kid didn’t even sit there for long, scrambling for the door. Levi shook his head at the bouncing brat as he plopped himself down by the door to get his shoes on.

“We might go to the market, actually.” Levi corrected absently, his eyes roving over the boy’s attire. “I can buy you some proper clothes for a start.”

Eren looked up, confusion written across his features as he glanced down at himself and then at Levi. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

“They’re my clothes.”

The brunette shrugged. “I don’t see your point.”

Eren might not have seen anything wrong with the pyjamas he was wearing, but Levi certainly could. The shirt sleeves didn’t reach Eren’s wrists and Levi couldn’t help but smirk every time he looked at the pyjama bottoms that stopped at the boy’s calves. As hilarious as it might have looked, the brat couldn’t go out in public like that.

Levi sighed, getting up from the table and heading for his room.

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll be back in a sec, don’t worry.”

“Okay.”

The raven rummaged about in his drawers until he found a pair of khakis for Eren to wear and a simple pale grey t-shirt. The shirt would be a little tight but that couldn’t be helped.

Reappearing from his room, Levi waved Eren over.

“Go get changed, you can’t go out in those. And for fuck’s sake, lose the tail.” He added, almost as an afterthought. “It’s cute and all but people might stare.”

Eren smirked but made no comment on Levi’s little compliment.

Instead he loped over to the raven. “Get changed into what?”

“I put some things on the bed for you to wear.” Levi murmured, tilting his head in the direction of his room.

The brunette beamed, ducking past with a ‘thank you’.

The door closed gently and Levi wondered what it would feel like to see Eren looking like a normal human being again. He had already grown accustomed to seeing the brat roaming around with a tail and pointed ears.

It didn’t take the boy as long as expected to change and he emerged with a grin.

Levi did a double take.

The clothes he’d given the kid were nothing to brag about, but the way the brat wore them definitely were. Levi had been right about the shirt being too tight, but damn if Eren didn’t pull it off. The brunette was in better shape than Levi had thought, built with a more subtle, leaner muscle than the raven’s solid form.

It was still nice though…very nice and oh my fuck was that a fucking eight pack or had Levi accidentally smoked some trippy shit before breakfast? The raven swallowed and cleared his throat a little.

Goddamn, maybe the brat really should have just gone out in his pyjamas…

“Is something the matter?”

Oh that smug tone. Levi didn’t even have to look at the kid to know that he was smiling. The little shit.

“Nope. Not at all.”

“So we can go?”

“Yep. In just a second.”

Levi marched into his bedroom and Eren listened to the sound of fabric being shuffled around for a moment before returning. The raven had found him a jacket to wear.

“Put this on and shut up.”

 

Eren had never looked so pleased with himself.

The moment the brat stepped outside the apartment he seemed brighter, even in his human guise. A charming little smile formed on his face and the kid walked with a light stride, hands behind his back as he strolled beside the smaller male.

The day was bright and sunny, and Eren reflected the weather with his cheery attitude as the pair of them passed through the streets. It felt beyond strange to be bringing another person along such a familiar journey. Walking over the bridge in the park made Eren smile to himself in a way that made Levi more than a little suspicious, but the brunette assured him that there was nothing for him to worry about.

The sidewalk was crowded as the pair drew nearer to the main square and that’s where Levi truly noticed the change that Eren brought.

The kid’s sunny disposition seemed to attract people like mosquitos to light. When people said hello, Eren greeted them right back. It seemed the kid always had a friendly ‘hi’ waiting on his tongue.

Levi still wasn’t used to so many people saying hello of a morning. He was used to the looks, the glances, the murmuring of women who weren’t quite brave enough to speak to him, but his permanent scowl and shady appearance had often kept the on-lookers at bay. With Eren by his side it seemed as though suddenly his appearance counted for nought. Every person and their grandmothers came over to wish them a good morning.

There was a reason that Levi was anti-social. He liked people, he really did, but from a distance. Up close they were far more unpredictable.

It was almost a relief when they finally made it to the store that Levi had in mind; a decent enough establishment where they could find good quality clothes for a fair price.

Finally the raven could escape the crowded walkways and just breathe a little. Eren seemed to sense his discomfort, tugging on his wrist.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Too many people?”

“Mhm.”

Eren remained quiet for the raven as they walked around the store, but Levi felt the gentle grip on his wrist remain as they walked. It was oddly comforting.

That in itself was a weird feeling to be having. Levi hadn’t needed to seek comfort from another person in years. He didn’t push the kid away though.

After a while, Eren worked up the desire to wander off when he believed that Levi had calmed down. The raven kept a close eye on the boy, picking up a few items here and there. Only essential things were selected, a few shirts and some pants, but Eren would need to try some of the items on.

“Oi, Eren, what size are you?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you know?”

“No…but the things I had on before fit pretty well.”

“Right.”

Levi could vaguely recall the clothes Eren had worn when he had first arrived at Levi’s flat. The raven had thrown them straight into the wash when Eren sat them outside the bathroom door. The smaller male went about searching for items of the same size, or close enough, and finally tracked the brunette back down.

Eren was standing near to the dressing rooms. Perfect.

Levi strode over to the boy, latching onto his wrist and dragging him into the little area. Eren made a surprised sound, but followed along when he saw who was towing him. The raven shoved Eren into one of the change rooms and stepped inside as well, drawing the curtain.

Eren turned on the spot, taking in the new surrounds. The raven set down the armload of clothing that he had picked out, reaching out toward the boy.

“Brat, come here.”

“Hmm?” The brunette turned on his heel, eyebrows raised in silent query.

The raven was clearly a little closer than Eren had expected as the kid jumped a little when Levi grabbed his shoulder.

“Hold still for a minute, would you. Gah! Stop squirming!”

“What are you-ack!” Eren’s words cut off sharply as he was pushed back against the dressing room wall by a hand.

Levi held up a dark shirt to the brunette’s chest, humming in thought as he appraised the sight.

“That’s a keeper.”

Next followed a grey shirt, then a white and then a few sweaters that Levi secretly thought Eren would look adorable in.

Eren marvelled as the pile of clothes in the ‘keep’ pile grew steadily. He identified different types of shirts; both long and short sleeved, some button-ups and even a jumper or two as well as some skinny jeans, slacks and sweatpants.

Only three items were taken back, and Eren took the opportunity to rush about in search of some items of his own.

After returning from a little walk around the store, Eren added a pair of shorts to the pile and Levi didn’t say anything. He did raise an eyebrow but the brat just smiled at him and Levi let the brunette have his way.

 

Next came a shoe store.

The raven selected several sets, ranging from converse to dress shoes, but ultimately it was Eren who decided. They left with only two pairs, some converse and a pair of boots. It was only a short stop, quick and simple, which seemed to be Eren’s favourite kind of visit when out and about in the malls.

He didn’t like to linger long and Levi found himself smirking a little whenever the kid started to complain.

“You’re worse than a toddler, I swear.”

“But we’ve been here for ages, come on! Can we go somewhere new?”

“One last stop.”

“But Leviiiii…”

“Shut up, it’s important.”

“Ugh.”

Eren laughed when they finally arrived at the shop that Levi had been talking about. It was a carpet and rug store.

The brunette snickered behind his hand. “You really meant the bit about the rug?”

“Quiet.” Levi chided under his breath. “You’re the one who burnt my carpet.”

Eren gave a cheery shrug, not in the slightest bit repentant. “You wanted to know what I was.” The kid said matter-of-factly.

“And you didn’t think that maybe you should have mentioned that there would be fire?” Levi rolled his eyes at the boy, elbowing him in the ribs as they walked.

Eren just elbowed him back, smirking. “It would have ruined the surprise.”

“Brat. You already know that I don’t like surprises.”

“What an old sourpuss you are.”

“Shut up before I skin you and use your hide for a rug instead.” Levi deadpanned, casting a sidelong glance over at Eren to see his reaction.

The kid only laughed, smiling playfully. “Now _that’s_ the kind of flirting that I’m used to!”

“Tch. Gross.”

Eren hummed his amusement as the pair entered the store.

They parted ways for a moment, each searching the rows of carpets. Eren smiled as he walked past row after row of brightly coloured fabric, imagining the raven’s reaction should he suggest one of these for the flat. There were some much nicer rugs too, with patterns both simple and wonderful. Some of the mats even had pictures.

“Oi, brat,” the harsh sound of Levi’s voice had Eren turning around to see the shorter man standing behind him, “which one?”

“Hmm?”

The raven was holding a rug in each hand, one a deep and dusty blue and the other a lighter grey.

Eren frowned.

“They’re a bit dreary, don’t you think?” He said, making a face.

“I’m not looking for any wow-factor, brat.” Levi replied with a click of his tongue. “I’m looking for something that won’t draw too much attention.”

“Why?”

Levi let his arms drop as he scoffed. “Oh, let me think, because I don’t want people to ask about a suspicious looking mat on the floor and then find the massive patch of charred carpet in my living room. How would I explain that, hmm? Oh, that? No, it was just me testing out the new blowtorch I bought to murder my flatmate with.” The raven let out a rush of a sigh and held the two fabrics up again. “I’m letting you pick _one_ of these two, so hurry up and choose.”

Eren picked the grey rug.

“It’s softer.” He reasoned as they left the store, carrying the rolled up piece of carpet on his shoulder.

Levi made an offhand noise, admiring the way the t-shirt Eren was wearing rode up a little to show the tanned skin stretching over muscle with each step the kid took.

“As long as I don’t have to look at that ugly black spot on my floor anymore, I don’t care what it feels like.”

Eren laughed, looking over at the raven. “Don’t be such a grouch.” He chided, inclining his head in the raven’s direction. “Smile for me.”

Levi glanced away, keeping his eyes on the path ahead. “How can I smile with all your annoying chattering?”

Another soft chuckle reached Levi’s ears.

“The store clerk didn’t seem to think I was so bad.” The brunette said, smirking in challenge.

“The store clerk thought we were a _couple_.” Levi muttered with a shudder.

“Hey.” Eren said indignantly. “No need to make such a disgusted face. Geez, I’m not that awful.”

The smaller man knew that Eren was joking, his tone and the playful little bump of his hip against Levi’s was more than enough of an indication, but he still felt a little twinge of guilt.

“It’s not that, it’s…” Levi sighed, running a hand over his face, “I just haven’t done anything like this in a while.”

“So we _are_ a couple?”

Now Levi rolled his eyes. He should have expected the brunette’s teasing.

“No. Shut up.”

“Haha, never!”

Levi groaned, running a hand over his face. “God, you sound like Hanji.”

“Hanji?” The boy cast a curious glance Levi’s way. “Who’s that?”

“Someone I am never, ever letting you meet.” Levi muttered. “The world isn’t ready.”

Eren laughed and the pair fell into a short silence as they walked along.

Levi carried the bags with Eren’s new clothes while the brunette carried the carpet and his shoes. At some point they would have to go back to the apartment, but Levi didn’t really want to make two trips if they didn’t have to.

And besides, it was just about time to eat.

“Hungry, brat?” The raven muttered, inclining his head to cast a questioning look at the brunette.

Eren flashed him a smile. “More than you know.”

The raven made a face at the cheeky comment, shaking his head when Eren started to laugh.

“What?” The boy said, playing innocent even as he snickered.

“Oh-come on.” The raven chastised. “You can’t just…don’t say things like that, okay?”

Eren’s laughter was muffled, easing off into an amused grin. “Why not?”

“Because it puts me off.”

Levi glanced at the brunette, glowering when he saw the brat holding his tongue between his teeth as he smiled.

“Sure it does.” Eren continued to tease.

“Just shut it, no more weird comments like that.”

Suddenly Eren’s smile grew sly, a look that usually meant some kind of trouble.

“If it makes you so grossed out or whatever, then why are you blushing?”

Trouble indeed.

“I’m not!”

“Liar!”

“Fuck you!”

 

Levi decided on a sushi bar after Eren had expressed dislike for the idea.

“Shut up. We’re supposed to be talking about food.”

“Well obviously I don’t care.” Eren informed the raven with a shrug, taking a look at the various cafés and food places around them. “Pick whatever you like.”

“Fine. What about…” the raven paused, glancing around. He spotted a sushi place and looked back at the brat, “sushi? Have you tried that?”

Eren arched a slender brow. “No…what is it?”

“Raw fish with rice wrapped in a bit of seaweed.” Levi said straight-faced.

“Ew!”

It was Levi’s turned to laugh now, a proper laugh that didn’t last nearly as long as the brunette would have liked.

“That sounds disgusting.”

“You should have seen your face!”

“I’m not eating it.” Eren argued, crossing his arms as best he could while holding the carpet. “You can’t make me.”

Levi smirked at the brat’s display, watching him shake his head vigorously.

“Just as I thought. Toddler.”

Eren puffed out his cheeks indignantly and Levi started to snicker.

The brunette didn’t find the situation quite as amusing as the raven did, but he didn’t complain because Levi was smiling. Well, smirking really, but it was a start.

Eren did in fact end up trying the sushi and it wasn’t as gross as the description had led him to believe.

“Okay,” Eren acquiesced with a nod as the pair left the sushi bar, “so that wasn’t so bad.”

One side of Levi’s mouth curved up into an amused little half-smirk. “Not so bad at all.”

“Where to now?”

The raven glanced up at the sky. It was past one o’clock now, probably closer to two.

“It’s getting later…we should get the grocery shopping done and then we can head back to the flat.”

“Lead on!”

 

Eren adored the markets. There were so many colours, so many different things to look at, to pick up and put back. The variety was intriguing and it carried through to the people.

There were people of all sizes, some tall, some short, some fat and others thin. Some wore fearsome scowls on their faces where other’s kept bright smiles. Children raced about the floors, squealing and rejoicing in games of chase and catch.

The brunette seemed to find great amusement in Levi’s meticulous selecting of vegetables, inspecting each and every one until he found the best. Eren soon learned that the raven-haired man was a sucker for fresh ingredients and choosing the correct produce was like an art form to the smaller male.

Levi skilfully weaved his way through the throng of people, glaring with distaste at the children who raced past.

“Little terrors. Where are their parents?”

Eren merely laughed and followed along.

It was nearly three o’clock by the time the pair started to head home.

They must have looked absolutely ridiculous carrying so many different bags all the way back to Levi’s flat. It was a work out and a half and even Levi wasn’t sure if he was going to make it up all the stairs when they finally reached his building.

Handing some of his bags to Eren, Levi managed to fish his keys out of his back pocket and shove the door open. Eren pranced through into the flat, pausing beside Levi as the raven staggered on through.

The door had barely closed behind them when-

“Oh no,” the brunette said suddenly, and when Levi turned to look at the kid Eren was wearing a playful smile, “these bags are suddenly really heavy.”

“Eren, what the fuck?”

The boy made a show of straining under the weight of the bags which hadn’t been a problem all day until now apparently.

“I don’t think I can hold them much longer.”

Levi’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, then widened. “Eren, no.”

“I’m just going to have to-”

“Eren, _don’t you dare_ -oof!”

The brunette dropped his bags and collapsed onto Levi, unbalancing the smaller male and sending them both crashing to the floor. Eren landed on the raven, thoroughly knocking the wind out of the man, and Levi looked up incredulously at the grinning brat.

“My hero, you caught me!”

“Ugh…get off.” The raven wheezed, out of breath from the fall.

Eren got to his feet, hauling the raven-haired man with him and took him to the table to sit down. Eren was far better behaved after that, still grinning like an idiot, but he put every last bit of the shopping away. All Levi had to do was instruct him on where the things went.

Fresh food went straight into the fridge, all of Eren’s clothes were sat on Levi’s bed to be sorted and then washed. The dry foods were arranged into their appropriate cupboards and last but not least, the new rug was set over the burn mark on the floor.

The pale shade of grey created a pleasant accompaniment for the white carpet, nearly matching the grey on the walls.

Eren flopped down to roll onto the new patch of carpet.

“I told you it would be perfect!” The boy grinned, tongue held between his teeth.

“It’s not bad.” The raven admitted.

He got up from the table, stretching, and went over to crouch by Eren where he still lay on the rug.

“Okay, we went somewhere,” Levi muttered, scratching the shorter hair at his nape, “now can you please be quiet for at least…half an hour? After that I don’t care what you do, but I have to get this tutorial sorted, okay?”

“Yes, Sir!”

Eren was good at being quiet, a fact that made Levi smirk to no end. The kid had shut himself out on the balcony and was watching the city, the birds and the people as they went by.

Levi worked from four o’clock to five thirty before he bothered looking in his fridge for some food. It was beyond fantastic to have such a range of selection once more, but in the end the raven settled for simple toasted sandwiches. It had been a long day and he felt exhausted.

Dinner was spent on the sofa, with Eren curled up at the opposite end watching the television until the raven went to wash the dishes. The brunette stared after him, watching the smaller man disappear into his room to shower and waiting for him to come back.

It took longer than expected for the sound of the water shutting off to reach Eren’s ears, but the bedroom door never opened.

Eren settled down into the sofa, content to wait as long as he needed to.

On the other side of the bedroom door, Levi stood. He was already dressed in his pyjamas and ready to go to sleep, and yet instead he was staring at the lock on his door.

It was dark under the door; Eren must have turned off the TV and the kitchen light. Levi wondered if that meant that the brat had gone to sleep already? He stared for a moment longer, reaching out and switching the latch so that the door was locked. Levi flipped off the light switch and climbed into bed, ducking beneath the sheets and laying his head back on the pillows. He lay there for all of five minutes staring at the ceiling, closing his eyes and exhaling in a rush.

The raven swung himself back out of bed, stomped over to the door and turned the lock back again.

The click was quieter going the other way, but Levi didn’t spare too much thought on it as he climbed back into bed and settled against his pillow. For a long while the raven did nothing but listen, feeling his heartbeat thumping loud and fast in his chest as he waited for a sound. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling; it was like a strange mix of fear and anticipation. But as the minutes dragged by and nothing happened, Levi was able to relax and let his eyes drift shut.

Settling to sleep, the raven was pulled into dreams of darkness and tiptoeing shadows, of monsters and fire…of Eren.

_“Levi…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hurray for voices in the night! What will happen to Levi without his door locked? Oh noooo!  
> This has been beta'd sort of, but if you spotted any screw ups in spelling or what not, feel free to alert me and I shall fix it! Next chapter shall be up soon, just going over some last minute editing.  
> *types like a maniac!*


	11. Have A Little Patience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am forever laughing because chapter 11 is an 11 page word document on my computer XD It's probably only funny because I'm tired :p Oh wow my grammar gets interesting when I'm tired. Be warned...there may very well be a lot of stupid mistakes in this chapter.  
> And wait...what's that? Some actual vaguely plot-related things on the horizon? O_O  
> Go summary: Eren wants to play a game. Levi revisits some nasty memories.  
> Enjoy!

“Just be yourself. It doesn’t matter if it’s good enough for someone else.” – Jimmy Eat World, The Middle.

***

 

Warm. It shouldn’t be this warm.

Levi blinked himself awake slowly, trying to figure out why it was so much warmer than he was used to. His dreams had been a rush of dull colours that didn’t make sense and the images faded the more he thought about them.

Attempting to get up, a pressure around his middle tightened and Levi heard a soft, sleepy grumble from behind him. Looking down, he identified the foreign weight about his stomach as a pair of arms. He turned his head and found the brat snuggled against his back, apparently still sleeping soundly.

The raven felt his chest tighten, but out of pain or fondness he could not tell. He remembered waking up the very same way in a very different set of arms, but even then it had never felt this warm. He had never felt warm both inside and out.

“Eren?” Levi tried, his voice sounding rough from just waking up.

Nothing. The raven cleared his throat and tried again.

“Eren. Oi! Wake up, brat!”

Teal eyes flashed open and Eren made a sound of alarm, pulling the raven back against him. “Gah!”

Levi looked down at the brunette with sleepy grey eyes. “What the hell are you doing right now?”

He paused to yawn, the noise coming out in a sound somewhere between a whining puppy and a frustrated groan. Eren stared up at him, transfixed.

“I…um…”

The grey orbs returned, a little sharper now. “Well?”

As always, Eren started scrambling for an explanation. “You looked cold and…and I was tired-”

“Get the fuck off me.”

“Okay, okay! Don’t be angry!”

Levi was not, in fact, angry. He just really didn’t need the brat squeezing him so tightly when he needed to pee. He swung his legs off the bed and got up, padding over to the bathroom and kicking the door shut with his foot.

The mirror revealed to him a fine sight and the raven ran a hand through his mess of bed hair. Levi hopped straight into the shower after relieving himself, emerging from the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

Eren was still perched on his bed, legs tucked underneath him. The raven strode over and flopped down onto the mattress, landing with his head near to Eren’s knees, and he looked up through the damp strands of his hair at the brat.

Levi frowned.

“You haven’t changed back yet.”

Eren was still in his human guise and the brunette glanced away at Levi’s words.

“I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Brat. We’ve fallen asleep together twice now. I think you’re safe.”

Eren managed a little smile, reaching over with a cool hand to touch Levi’s brow. The tanned digits traced the silver ring adorning the raven’s face and Levi let his eyes slip shut under the attention.

“You should get yourself cleaned up too.”

“I will, in a minute.”

“Tch.”

Several minutes passed in silence.

“What’s on the agenda for today?” Eren enquired, now tracing the shell of Levi’s ear.

“I have a video to make.”

“Ah.”

And thus the morning’s lazing session came to an end.

Eren showered and Levi made breakfast. By the time the kid came back out into the liviing room, Levi was already setting up his camera. The sofa had been pushed back against the wall, creating a larger space in the middle of the flat.

“What’s with that?” Eren gestured to the space.

“I need room to move.”

“Right…” the brunette nodded, pausing for a moment, “what for?”

“You’ll see.”

Eren did see. He was pushed into the dining room after his own ‘safe distance’ by the edge of the carpet had not proved adequate in the eyes of the raven. Sitting at the dining room table, Eren watched with wide eyes as his not so defenceless human demonstrated how to perform a certain type of kick as he stood in front of the camera.

Levi spoke in intervals before and after each move. First came the stance one should take, defensive and strong, one foot forward, one foot back for support. Funnily enough, the support foot was the one that ended up delivering the kick.

The raven went through each motion slowly at first, and then lightning fast to put everything together. Fast, fluid like a cat with the speed of a striking snake. Even Eren was impressed.

“Damn.” The brunette said, giving a low whistle. “Should I be the one worrying?” Eren called jokingly when Levi announced that filming was done for the day.

The raven smirked, cocking an eyebrow at the brunette as he packed away the tripod.

“So that’s what you do, then?” Eren continued. “What was it? Arts and crafts?”

“ _Martial arts_.” Levi corrected after snorting at Eren’s suggestion. “I’m rubbish at all that artsy stuff.”

“Okay, okay,” Eren giggled to himself, “but that’s your job?” He asked to clarify. “You teach other people how to fight?”

“I teach them how to defend themselves.” The raven said by means to correct the boy. “There is a difference.”

“Right, of course.” The boy smirked, watching Levi put his equipment back where it belonged. “And how did _you_ learn that stuff? Did someone teach you?”

“No.” The raven-haired man paused, wiping a few beads of sweat from his brow. “I picked it up.”

“How?”

A sigh. “There were times when I had to fight to survive.” Levi explained simply, giving a shrug. “I learned to adapt.”

Eren hummed his approval. “What a clever specimen you are. Clearly I chose well.”

The raven gave a scoff at that, tossing his head. “Chose, schmose. _I_ ran into _you_ , dumbass. It was my sorry ass decision to take a short cut that landed us in this royal fuckery.”

It was Eren’s turn to snort and he shook his head fondly at the smaller male. “We really must work on your manners, though.”

“Tch.”

And so the day continued.

Living with a demon wasn’t so bad, Levi decided. Living with Eren could be a nightmare and a half.

The raven sat at the table once more and Eren sprawled on the couch, watching him type. The video had been edited and was currently uploading, now all Levi had to do was write up the description and the instructions to go with it.

But Eren wanted to have his fun and that meant getting Levi’s attention.

“Levi?”

“Mm?”

“Let’s play a game.”

The raven sighed, clicking at the laptop screen. “Not now, Eren.”

“It’s very simple.” The brunette went on, undeterred. “I’ll ask you a question and you can either answer it or not. But if you don’t answer, you have to come closer. It’s as easy as that.”

It would be quite pointless arguing with the brat and Levi knew it.

“Okay, I’ll bite.” The raven muttered, reading over his last line of description. “We can play, but I can’t move for a bit so give me easy questions to start with. I’m nearly finished here.”

“Wonderful!” Eren beamed, stretching out on the sofa, swinging his legs up behind him and thinking of his first question. “Okay, how about this; when was the first time you kissed someone?”

Predictable, but also easy to answer.

The raven’s typing continued, deft fingers darting across the keys as he answered. “Sixth grade.”

A pleased hum came from the direction of the sofa.

“Started young, did you?” The brunette chuckled. “Atta’boy.”

“God, you should hear yourself talk sometimes, Eren. Priceless.”

“You should record it one time.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

Eren laughed again, more light-heartedly this time around. “Was it a male or a female? The kiss, I mean.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of Levi’s mouth. “It was a guy.”

“Interesting. Was it a special moment? Did you love him?”

“That’s a lot of questions all at once, brat.”

Eren chuckled. “To much for you?”

“Heh. No, I didn’t love him, we were both idiots experimenting.”

Levi finished up his typing and turned his chair to better face the sofa, leaving the computer sitting on the table to finish uploading the video.

“Anything else?” Levi raised an eyebrow.

Eren was swinging his legs in the air behind him, a happy little smile colouring his face.

“Do you like me?” The boy asked out of the blue.

The question was also something that Levi had expected to hear at some point or other but he had as yet to think of anything profound to say. After a moment the raven settled for answering with a shrug and an ‘I guess.’

Eren’s face brightened a fraction. “How much?”

Levi clicked his tongue, glancing away. “Oodles.” The raven murmured, looking over to see the brunette’s face twist in confusion.

“Huh?”

Whether it was because the boy didn’t hear him properly or simply didn’t understand the term, Levi didn’t know. He shook his head.

“Never mind.”

Eren made a face and complained. “No, tell me.”

Levi just moved his chair a little closer to the sofa. “Next question.”

The brat pouted. “Fine.” He paused for a moment, tapping a finger against his mouth. “Have you ever lived with anyone before?”

“No.”

“Has there ever been anyone close to you before me? And I don’t mean any of that family crap either.”

“Yes.” Levi rolled his eyes. “I’m a loner, not a total loser.”

“Who was it?” The brunette pried.

“It isn’t important.” He said, moving the chair and himself closer to the couch to avoid going into further detail.

The brat’s brow furrowed, a little concern seeping into his features as he shifted on the sofa. “Was it serious?”

“I thought it was.”

There was a brief break in which silence threatened to take hold.

“Will you tell me about it?”

Eren’s soft murmur reached the raven’s ears but he wasn’t looking at the boy when he answered.

“I’d prefer not to.”

Another short pause as Levi scooted the chair across the floor again. He was next to the couch now, staring over at where the brunette sat.

“If I ask,” Eren paused, making sure that he had Levi’s attention before speaking, “will you tell me?”

That was the question, wasn’t it? Most of the raven’s heart would prefer to keep the messy details of the past locked safely away, forgotten where they couldn’t hurt him. But there was a part of Levi that wanted to share the stories. It was that part of him which prompted his next reply.

“If you ask…I might.”

Eren smiled gently at the raven’s words and Levi got the feeling that he had passed some kind of test.

“That’s all I needed to hear.” The brunette smiled, sitting up into a better position. “Now a much more serious question…” Eren stated, schooling his expression into something calmer, “…how did you feel about waking up in my arms?”

Levi snorted; a more serious question indeed! Even Eren chuckled after a moment, unable to maintain a straight face. The raven smirked, opting to move from his chair onto the sofa instead of answering.

“Tease.” Eren chided, still smiling. “What about right now? How do you feel about being this close? Does it make you uncomfortable?”

The brunette watched the raven scoot closer and a pleased smile graced the boy’s lips.

“Good boy.” Eren praised, reaching for the raven-haired male and tugging him closer.

“You didn’t ask your question.”

“Look into my eyes and tell me if it looks like I give a damn.”

A thin brow arched. “Breaking your own rules now?” Levi tsked.

“I never liked rules anyway.”

“You and me both.”

The atmosphere was suddenly shattered by a ping that came from the laptop to inform Levi that his video was finished uploading. The silence seemed louder than if the two had been talking, making every breath and every shift of movement seem exaggerated.

The raven broke eye contact first to cast a glance over his shoulder.

“I should get back to that.” He murmured.

The brunette’s hold didn’t ease up. If anything, Eren held him tighter, the hands on his hips moving around his back to lock him in place. Grey eyes swivelled to meet determined blue-green. There was challenge within those eyes, a dare to stay, a dare to leave.

“Don’t…” Eren coaxed, voice low, “just leave it. Don’t go just yet.”

“Eren.”

Something in those eyes held uncertainty, as if the boy wasn’t quite sure where to go next.

At last, Eren exhaled, relaxing his hold. “I’m sorry.” He murmured, shaking his head. “I’m not used to all this…tiptoeing. I’ve lived in a world where you take what you want while you can get it. Here everything is different.”

Levi sat back a little, sensing an incoming rant. Computer momentarily forgotten, he settled back to listen.

And Eren didn’t hold back.

“It’s confusing here. I’m not used to your weird human courting rituals.” The brunette pulled a face, scrunching up his nose in distaste before ploughing on. “Honestly, it takes forever to do anything around here. You people go on dates, not just one but several! And you have to get to know each other beforehand. What a pain.”

“Wait, whoa whoa,” Levi held up a hand to stop the boy, staring at him dubiously, “…you’re trying to court me?”

“I thought that much was obvious?” Eren stated.

And then Levi was laughing, honest to God laughter that shook his form as he leaned forward to rest his hands on his knees.

“No, not really.” Levi forced out, struggling not to laugh anymore as Eren was starting to look put out. “I mean, it was but…nobody says it like that anymore.”

Eren didn’t seem to see the funny side of the situation, letting out an exasperated sound.

“And that’s why I’m confused.” The brunette admitted. “I’m still not up to date with your stupid language. All the lingo and street slang bullshit drives me crazy!”

Levi only chuckled at the brat’s pouting face, poking his cheek. “I don’t know what you expect me to be able to do about it.”

“You could help me?” Eren said, leaning forward all of a sudden.

Levi’s smirk faded as the kid got this strange, almost desperate look to him; eyes wide, pleading, and if his tail had been there Levi was sure it would be swishing around like crazy.

The raven decided to pry. “How?”

Eren swallowed, sitting up a little straighter and wringing his hands in his lap. “There’s a process…”

The raven’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at the comment and he leaned away a little.

“Oh?”

“Mhm.” The brunette gave a nod of confirmation, reaching out to take Levi’s hands in his own. “I would be able to adjust quicker if you would let me see your memories?”

Levi looked down at the tanned fingers running over his palms. His own skin seemed pale in comparison.

“My memories?” The raven murmured.

“Yes. It’s a very simple ritual, sort of like a temporary possession only quicker.”

It sounded dodgy and more than a little suspicious…but he couldn’t think of any real reason for Eren to lie.

Unless of course his whole plan had been to possess Levi from the start. That idea seemed so ridiculous that Levi almost snorted out loud, resisting the urge by clearing his throat.

“And how does it work?” The raven asked instead, lifting his eyes to look at Eren’s face.

The brunette met his gaze, Caribbean eyes holding the steady grey gaze with determination. “I will be able to look into your mind for a moment. It’s similar to how you explained your video upload process. I can transfer images, sights, sounds, anything you’ve learned or seen or experienced, and store it in my own memory. It’ll help me to understand your world better.”

“I see.” Levi said, thinking about that.

It didn’t seem too awful, but just to be sure…

“Any downsides?” The raven asked.

Surprisingly, Eren nodded. “You might get a bit of a headache afterwards.”

Levi had expected there to be some kind of catch, but he certainly hadn’t expected the brat to tell him about it. Yet again, Eren surprised him with the truth.

Said brat squeezed the raven’s hands gently with his own. “I won’t make you do anything you don’t feel comfortable with.” The brunette vowed in a solemn tone. “If it’s too soon, just say the word.”

It was too soon, if Levi thought about it. But he didn’t want to think about facts and normalities when he had a creature like Eren sitting right in front of him ready to show him that life could have more to it than what he knew already.

He imagined the kind of feeling that a person would have if they knew everything that another person had ever experienced. Surely you would never look at that person the same way again. Did he want Eren to look at him differently?

Levi glanced down at the hands again. “Is it safe?”

“Yes.” Eren assured him, thumbs brushing the more sensitive skin of the raven’s wrists. “It’s just…very personal.”

It occurred to the raven that perhaps this was just what he needed if he were to consider pursuing another relationship. Levi had shared everything with Erwin, but now his very definition of everything had changed, morphing into something new and far more meaningful.

“So…you’ll be able to see everything?”

“Not necessarily.” Eren shook his head, smiling a little. “There are ways for you to keep some memories to yourself if you want to.”

Levi exhaled, having held his breath without realising it. “And how would I do that?”

The brunette’s gentle smile never left his face. “If there’s anything you don’t want me to see…you can just close your eyes.” Eren explained.

“Close my eyes?” The raven repeated. “That’s it?”

Eren nodded. “It’s literally as easy as blinking. The eyes are the windows to the soul…and through them I can see anything you want to show me. Close your eyes and the link breaks.” The boy shrugged, still smiling. “Simple.”

The brunette watched the raven, probably noticing the hesitation.

Always a way out, even now. Here the brat was giving the raven a way to bail and he hadn’t even needed to kick and scream.

“Do you trust me?” Eren murmured in question.

“More than I should.”

The boy exhaled in a happy rush, eyes closing. “That makes me very happy.”

“Get on with it.”

Teal eyes opened once more. “Are you certain?”

“Do it.”

Eren shifted forward a little, pulling Levi closer to him. The raven allowed himself to be handled, tugged into the brunette’s lap. Eren brought his hands up, placing them on either side of Levi’s face as he gently guided the raven’s head down until their forehead’s met.

“Keep your eyes on me.” Eren instructed, expression gentle, thumbs stroking soothingly at the raven’s face. “It’ll only take a few moments.”

For a brief while, the two just stared at one another…and then Eren exhaled and Levi could see images. Eren was still there in front of him but behind his eyes pictures played out like movie scenes. Everything from his first breath to his first step and everything in between. Levi recognised the three different houses that his family had moved to in their time together. The shouting of his parents played in his ears while the image of a lonely little boy hid in his room. Every fight, every argument unsettled, every cut, graze and fight Levi had ever gotten himself into as a child, to the death of his mother at age six. The first time the raven made friends, all the times he got into trouble at school, all the times his new pals bailed him out of it.

And then came the more painful memories. Flashes of school life, of Levi and his friends as they got older. Glimpses of his first kiss followed by a flickering of his first kiss with Erwin.

And that’s where the train began to derail.

The raven’s breath hitched.

Their first kiss and every kiss that came after, the way it had always felt so perfect, so stupidly perfect that Levi had hated it. The first time he had caught Erwin cheating on him with another of their classmates, Nile, their fight, their break up, their make-up, the second time with Nile…

Levi wanted to close his eyes, shut them tight and never open them again, but he couldn’t. Some strong feeling in his chest rebelled against his wishes.

The images came faster. Erwin’s laugh, Erwin’s smile, that stupid disappointed look that he got every time the raven had failed him, the moment Levi found Erwin’s note saying that he was already gone, Erwin, Erwin, _Erwin_ -stop!

A single tear slid down the raven’s face.

“Levi…”

And then there was Eren. Eren before his eyes and inside his head.

The first time Levi had seen the boy, the fear that had run through every last part of his being as he had run from him, the shock of their second encounter, the intrigue, the look of teal eyes and tanned skin and that all too charming smile…and every confused mixed up feeling that had come with those moments.

It took the raven a moment to realise that Eren was speaking to him. The sea of blue-green had gone and so had the images. Levi was being held, wrapped up in warmth with a steady heartbeat beneath his ear.

“You can blink now, pet. Breathe. I’ve got you.”

Levi’s head felt like it was about to split in two, like every single cell in his brain was screaming at him and trying to leave the confines of his skull.

The raven pulled back a little, groaning at the feeling.

“Are you alright?”

“This is _a bit of a headache?”_ He grumbled, massaging his own temples. “It feels like my head is imploding!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Will aspirin fix this?” The raven enquired, still grimacing at the aching throb in his skull.

“Probably.” Eren said after a moment, giving a shrug. “It’s worth a try.”

Levi shot the brunette a look, but his surprise quickly morphed into sarcasm. “Oh, so _now_ you know what aspirin is? Great, then you also know where it sits in the cupboard. Go fetch.”

Eren was laughing, just a soft little chuckle escaping his lips, but the brat’s shoulders shook with restrained laughter.

“Levi?”

“What?”

“Thank you for sharing that with me.”

Levi looked back to glare at Eren but paused when he saw the boy’s smile. Not an ecstatic grin or a sly little smirk, just a purely honest smile.

“I wish I could communicate just how much that meant to me.” The boy murmured, still smiling away.

“Yeah, yeah, woo-hoo for feelings. Whatever. Where are my drugs?”

The kitchen clock read 11:35.

Levi got his painkillers along with a glass of water and the raven lay back on the sofa for a brief ten minutes while he waited for the medicine to kick in and drown out his splitting headache. He went back to his computer, answering emails while Eren lay on the floor next to his chair tracing patterns on the raven’s leg.

“You’re worse than a cat, brat.”

Eren just gave a little hum and sat up.

“I’m going to pop out for a bit.” The boy stated, standing and stretching.

“Oh?” Levi murmured, arching an eyebrow as he sorted through some emails from Nanaba.

The blog was working well so far, everything was running smoothly and Levi had nothing to worry about.

“Mhm.” Eren hummed in response, looking around for his shoes and finding them under the table.

Levi flicked the boy’s head as he re-emerged, chuckling at the kid’s startled expression. “When should I expect you back?” The raven enquired.

“Why?” Eren suddenly shot Levi a playful smirk and nuzzled his head against the smaller man’s leg. “Are you planning to surprise me?”

“Har har.”

“I shouldn’t be long.” The brunette assured him, standing again. “But I’m glad to see you worrying over me.”

“Tch.” Levi clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes, but he smirked a little. “Just be back before it gets dark.”

“Yes, Sir!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel guilty because Levi made a tear and it's all my fault...  
> But Eren's there to take care of him so I guess it's not so bad. Hope you guys enjoyed the double-feature update! Next chapter might reveal some plotty things! Yay!


	12. Out On Your Corner In The Pouring Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, is that plot? Amazing! So we have a few new character mentions coming in this chapter! Hurray! And some snuggles!  
> Chapter 12 has 12 pages...I don't know how I'm doing this.  
> Enjoy!

“I’ll look up to the sky, leave this world behind you and run for cover.” – Other Lives, Great Sky.

***

 

 

The sun sat high in the sky, beaming its bright rays down upon the Earth in a merry, yet cancerous, gift of light and warmth. Yes, it seemed that nothing in life came without a price, but that day Eren felt as though he were truly happy.

Happiness was still somewhat of a foreign feeling to the boy, something which he had only really experienced before in the heat of a kill. And yet the reason for his current state of content had a name other than death…and that name was Levi.

It was around midday by now, the sun had reached its peak in the sky and it was a little less than half an hour since the brunette had left his human to go out about the neighbourhood. He had left the raven under the assumption that he was merely taking a stroll…and the mortal wouldn’t know any different when Eren eventually did saunter back into his apartment.

In truth, Eren had gone out for another reason entirely.

It had been a good while since the demon had been able feed, Eren hadn’t tasted human flesh since the day he had met his human in the rain and as a result he was now quite hungry. It was nothing life threatening…for him at least. But in order to safely remain around Levi, Eren would need to feed more often just in case he was tempted.

It wasn’t an easy thing to live with the very creatures that he had once seen as prey and prey alone. But Levi was different; he was separate from all that now…and Eren wanted to make sure that he was kept safe. If that meant that more people had to die, then so be it.

The dirty deed was already complete and the brunette had been impeccably clean with the kill. Not a trace of blood could be found on his clothes and remnants of a body had been dealt with; burned into nothing more than ashes.

Eren was more than pleased with his efforts, especially when they had gained him something more. In the pocket of the boy’s jeans lay a necklace made of simple black cord. It had been in the jacket of his victim and Eren decided that the cord would look very nice around the neck of his human. It was simple, yet elegant and durable, made from some kind of hide. What was it called again? Leather.

Levi’s memories were coming in very handy already and there were so many things to sort through. A whole language rested inside Eren’s mind, in all its nonsensical complexity. A whole other life with which he could learn. The rush of power it caused was delightful.

The brunette still couldn’t believe that the raven had allowed him in, entrusting him with every little detail. Sure, it was still one big complicated rush for the moment, but eventually he would be able to pick everything apart. No one would know Levi as well as Eren would, and that thought stirred strong feelings in the boy’s dark heart.

Levi’s apartment building came into sight and the brunette smiled at the thought of seeing his human again. Looking up, his smile faltered. There was an odd feel to the air all of a sudden and the sun’s rays didn’t seem so warm.

Time seemed to slow as the brunette’s senses kicked in. Ears straining, the very rustling of the trees above seemed deafening. Eren’s skin prickled at the shift in atmosphere and his lips drew back to bare his teeth.

Something was wrong.

 

Levi was packing away his laptop, having replied to all the emails he had deemed relevant. The others were either from Hanji to ‘cheer him up’ or from people who could wait another day or two. The computer went back into his room and the raven set about making himself some lunch.

A BLT was in order, and Levi set about cutting up lettuce and tomato while his bacon fried away in a pan on the stove. It didn’t take too long and the raven was sitting down in front of the TV with his sandwich in no time at all.

Some stupid sitcom was playing and Levi rolled his eyes every time the recorded laughing track sounded, but the background noise was better than silence.

Levi glanced at the clock in the kitchen. 12:23. Eren had been gone a while, not long enough to make Levi worry but certainly long enough to make him curious. Perhaps the brat had gone to take a walk in the markets? Or maybe he had a secret army of cats to feed? Either way, it really wasn’t any of the raven’s concern.

At 12:30 Levi packed his plate into the dishwasher along with the other utensils that had been dirtied in the pursuit of food.

A cloud passed, momentarily casting the room into shade, and the raven wondered when the weather had decided to change from its expected forecast of ‘fine and sunny’ to ‘overcast’.

Before he could worry over it too much, there was a knock at the door. Levi let out a breath that he hadn’t realised he’d been holding and headed over to the door. For once he didn’t spare a begrudging thought as to who might be waiting on the other side, marching over and reaching for the handle without a moment’s hesitation.

A familiar sight awaited him as he tugged the door open and Levi almost smiled. Eren was there, back from his venture and he hadn’t run off to leave the raven alone. Phew.

But something struck Levi as off…something that he couldn’t quite see to place his finger on.

Eren was silent as he entered the flat, looking around slowly as if he were searching for something. Levi watched the boy wander into the living room, letting the door slip from his hand and slide shut. What was it about the kid that didn’t fit? It was kind of like trying to look at stars at night. Until you looked directly at them, they seemed bright and clear and perfectly normal. But when you pick one out and actually look at it…the light sees to fade a little and the star becomes harder to see. That was how Levi felt when he looked at Eren. He was there but if the raven really looked…it felt different.

And then the brunette turned back to Levi and the raven saw it. He spotted what was wrong. It hurt his head to look at the one glaringly wrong factor about Eren’s appearance but he fought through the fuzziness and stared, coming to a sharp halt next to the dining room table.

“Eren…your eyes…”

The once beautiful teal orbs were now gone, replaced with irises so dark that they were almost black. Lifeless.

Eren wasn’t smiling…in fact Eren wasn’t doing much of anything that he would normally do. For the first time since he’d arrived, the kid actually looked like a demon. Dead. Terrifying.

Levi felt dizzy and sick to his stomach; his head hurt more the longer he looked at the boy.

And then Eren moved.

The brunette came closer, one measured step after another. There was too much care, too much thought put into every little action. The boy came to stand before the raven-haired man, looking down at him through those foreign eyes, and he reached out. Levi felt a cold hand curl around the back of his neck and suddenly the raven found himself being pulled forward into a rather clumsy kiss.

He made a sound of protest, pushing at the brunette’s shoulders. Eren didn’t budge.

This was not at all how Levi may or may not have imagined his first kiss with Eren going down. Of course he’d expected the brat to be clumsy…but not this cold. It wasn’t cold in the traditional sense, but in the sense that there was no meaning to the act.

It was wrong, all wrong, and the raven tried to pull away when suddenly the front door flew open, banging loudly against the wall, and in the brief moment when Eren’s kiss paused the raven wrenched himself free of those cold arms.

“What the fuck?!” He hissed at the brunette, before turning to identify the intruder to his home.

Levi froze. Maybe that aspirin was causing some kind of weird hallucinogenic shit, but something was definitely out of place here.

“Eren?”

Eren was standing right beside him…so how could he also be in the doorway?

Levi did a double take, staring between the two almost identical figures. The first real difference that Levi noticed in the Eren by the doorway was his eyes. They were the magnificent blue-green pools that the raven knew. Those were the eyes that he trusted. The kid was breathing a little raggedly, like he had run all the way there, and his face was twisted with several different emotions.

Shock, hurt, anger…

“Eren, what?”

Levi couldn’t think, couldn’t do much except look between the two almost identical Erens. And then the one by the door spoke.

“Levi…I need you to wait here.”

The raven frowned. “What?”

“Listen to me.” Eren’s voice held concern, but also anger. “Wait here and whatever you do…don’t look outside.”

“Eren-”

The brunette shook his head. “I don’t care what you hear. Stay inside. Keep your eyes closed if you have to. Just don’t look outside.”

The boy in the doorway was shaking, trembling all over, and he took a single step forward. For the first time since Eren had revealed his true nature, Levi felt truly threatened. He took a step back as the brunette moved forward and the room began to shudder.

The false Eren turned on his heel and ran, tearing through the living room in a blur and smashing right through the balcony doors. The sound of glass shattering hit Levi hard and he slid to the ground, eyes wide. The whole building must have been shaking by then as Eren followed after the copycat, diving right out of the broken glass doors and diving over the balcony railing.

Levi opened his mouth to shout out but no sound came. The sky outside was filling with hideous purple clouds and Levi went rigid as a terrible cry ripped through the air. There was a sound like an explosion and a horrid screeching. Through the broken doors, Levi saw a brilliant blue light.

_“Whatever you do…don’t look outside.”_

The raven scrambled up from the floor, rushing to shut and lock the front door. He bolted into his room, ignoring the mess of broken glass that littered his carpet in the living room, and locked himself in. A loud pattering sound reached Levi’s ears and he realised that it had started raining.

Not just a little, it was pelting down like the end of days had come.

Levi climbed into his bed, pulling the sheets up, burrowing beneath them and dragging a pillow over his head.

So much for ‘fine and sunny’.

 

Outside it was raining. The water poured down in an almost constant stream of heavy droplets, like the sky was weeping over the loss of the sun.

The streets were empty as people rushed inside, startled by the sudden unexpected downpour. And so it was that there was no one left to see the two figures standing in the rain. Not that any normal human being would be able to notice anyway.

Eren stared at the intruder into his life, his eyes flaring up as he flexed his wings.

The brunette had assumed his true form now; large dark brown wings protruded from his back, covered in odd scales like that of a serpent. He bore no feathers or down, and cruel spines ran along his back, formed from bone and a shiny, teal-coloured scale. Horns, similar to what you might see on a ram, adorned the boy’s head; a shimmering mix of blue and green pigment coloured them. It was like looking at the very hottest of flames.

Eren’s hands were clawed now, nails extending into wickedly curved talons. His eyes _burned_ , the very fires of Hell captured in those endless pools of light.

Eren wasn’t angry…he was absolutely consumed with fury. The brunette turned his flickering gaze on the fiend that had dared to lay a hand on what was his and he snarled. The sound left his lips like thunder, cracking overhead; it tore the air apart and crashed across the sky.

“Do not mock me with my own reflection…Mikasa.”

All at once, the false image of Eren disappeared to reveal a girl with hair the colour of the night sky and eyes that were voids of inflectionless charcoal. Like embers that had long since burned out, they held no trace of life or colour. Only ashes. Her wings were like that of a bat and her scales were the colour of rubies. Scarlet fire wrapped around her throat like a scarf, flickering in the rain, refusing to be extinguished. The girl had no horns, a statement of her lesser power, and she bowed to the brunette.

“You really need to work on your mimicking magic.” Eren muttered with a scowl. “I could smell you from outside the damned building.”

“Eren…” the girl’s voice held barely any tone at all, more akin to a breath of wind than an actual voice, “you’ve settled in, I see.”

Inflectionless as the voice sounded, Eren knew this creature well enough to pick up on the sarcasm. He wasn’t in the mood for idle chit chat or swapping banter. Not today.

“Just what are you doing here, Mikasa?” He asked, tone clipped. “I thought I told you not to come looking for me?”

The girl shrugged, weaving her hand through the flames coiling about her neck. “It’s getting close to that time.” She stated, glancing off to the side. “I wanted to make sure that you were prepared for the attack.”

“I am.” The brunette snapped, eyes narrowing as he lowered his voice. “That’s why I’m laying low until the time is right. I don’t want to draw any unwanted attention and I don’t need you blowing my cover!”

Mikasa listened to him rant, dead eyes unmoving. When she did speak, it wasn’t what the boy wanted to hear. Then again, it never was with Mikasa.

“You’ve grown distracted, Eren.”

Eren rolled his eyes, scoffing. “Since when is that a new thing?”

“Don’t joke. Not now.” The black-haired creature shook her head. “You’re too fond of that mortal.”

“Says the creeper who was kissing him!” The brunette hissed, the sound morphing into a growl as it ended. “Actually, no, kissing isn’t really that accurate,” Eren scoffed again, “you practically attacked his face!”

“Isn’t that how humans usually express their lust?” She asked, frowning. “I was simply curious. I wanted to know how far you had progressed with him.”

“We’re not at that stage yet.” Eren threw his hands into the air and began to pace. “Christ almighty, Mika, I was working up to that! Do you have _any idea_ how much effort I put into this? How careful I’ve had to be to even get the guy to relax enough to show him what I am? If he goes all frigid now, I will skin you alive!”

“You showed him?”

“Yes!”

Dark eyes flashed with disapproval. “That isn’t good, Eren. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

Eren waved her concerns away, giving a dismissive sound. “Relax, he’s fine. He won’t tell a soul.”

“What if he does?”

The brunette shrugged. “If he does, then that’s a clear betrayal. I’ll handle it.”

Mikasa didn’t look convinced. Something unreadable swam in her empty eyes, but in the end she gave a nod. “Be sure that you do…you wouldn’t want to make a mess out of this.”

A frustrated sigh left Eren and he ran a hand over his face. “I said I would handle things, okay?”

But the raven-haired demon wasn’t finished. “Eren…you won’t be able to keep him forever, you know? Sooner or later, you’re going to lose control…and if he doesn’t get killed then he’ll get spooked enough to run. And when they run, they talk. And when they talk-”

Eren’s next growl was furious and the very ground shook with the sound. “I. Will. Handle. It.”

Mikasa held up her hands in defence as the brunette’s voice began to change, to get deeper, and his eyes burned brighter.

“Calm down.” She encouraged, taking a step back.

And Eren did. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, and let his head tilt back into the rain.

“Sorry.”

The girl sighed. “I’m just telling you what you need to hear. You won’t be able to control yourself around him forever.”

“Excuse you.” Eren said, his tone indignant. “I was doing pretty damned well until you marched in and rained on my parade.”

“You fed today.” Mikasa watched Eren wince and look away. “Don’t bother trying to deny it; I can smell death on you.”

The brunette looked guilty as he stared off to the side. “You don’t tell him.” He murmured after a moment, expression hardening. “In fact, you can stay the hell away from him. He is _mine_.”

Mikasa raised an eyebrow, but nodded. “Okay.” She gave in with a sigh. “But you know, Eren, demons aren’t meant to have human lovers. They are only meant for prey.” The raven-haired girl narrowed her eyes a little as Eren mimicked her scolding, mouthing and making gestures. “You already have a suitor” the raven reminded the brunette, “…and I’m sure you know that _he_ isn’t going to be very happy about all this.”

The brunette froze suddenly at Mikasa’s words.

Eren’s face shifted into a look of worry. The change in tone, the emphasis on the word ‘he’, it all told the brunette that they were talking about someone else entirely. Someone other than his human. Someone very specific…and dangerous.

“H-Has he been back?” Eren asked, looking to Mikasa.

The raven-haired girl nodded, just once, and her eyes darkened further.

“He’s been asking after you…well, threatening is more accurate.”

The brunette swallowed. “Does he know?”

Mikasa shook her head. “He still thinks that you’re roaming the wastelands.”

“Good.” Eren nodded, exhaling. “That’s good. I-I need more time.”

For the first time since her arrival, Mikasa’s blank eyes seemed to soften and she reached out to place and hand on the brunette’s shoulder. He gave her a grateful look.

“You’ll have to come back sooner or later.” Mikasa stated, retracting her hand. “Unless you want to risk losing the new territory. Kirschtien’s realm is nearly ready to fall.”

“I’ll go back soon. I will.” The brunette murmured, thinking. “I just can’t leave right now…” Eren pressed a hand to his eyes and let out a sigh. “Go back, keep everyone under control. I’ll be with you all in due time.”

“Don’t wait too long.”

Mikasa spread her wings and took off in a rush, whooshing overhead and out of sight. Eren trusted her instincts enough to know that she could find the way back without his help. Instead, the brunette turned his gaze on the apartment complex, spotting the shattered glass of Levi’s balcony doors way up towards the top.

Eren sighed; he had some explaining to do.

 

The rain had eased up to a lighter drizzle and Levi hadn’t heard a single sound out of the ordinary since the last deafening crackle of thunder overhead. The worst of the freak storm seemed to have passed on but the raven remained under his blankets.

A strange noise reached his ears and Levi tensed as he heard a thud in his living room. There was a hiss, perhaps of pain, and Levi was sure that he heard a muffled ‘fuck’ before pale blue light shone briefly from the living room.

And then the bedroom door rattled.

“Levi?”

The raven could hear Eren calling, but which Eren? That he did not know, so he stayed put.

“Come on, it’s really me this time. You can open your eyes now.”

It sounded like Eren. The brat had the same careful tone it always got whenever the kid thought he had spooked the raven. But if something could look like Eren…couldn’t it also sound like him?

“Please, Levi, open the door. I won’t hurt you. I won’t let anything close enough to hurt you.”

Levi didn’t know what to believe and was perfectly prepared to stay put in bed the whole day, but after a long moment of silence a sigh sounded from the other side of the door. The raven’s heartbeat picked up as he heard the faint but distinguishable sound of the door unlocking and then footsteps.

“Levi?”

Eren’s voice was closer this time and Levi curled himself into a ball.

“Are you…okay? I didn’t mean to frighten you. The danger’s gone. You can come out now, pet.”

He wanted to come out, but he also wanted to stay. The silence carried on as Levi waited for his heart to calm.

“Okay then,” Eren murmured at last, “I’m going to get dried off. The rain really did a number on me. I won’t be far.”

Levi listened to the sound of footsteps moving away, a brief rummaging in his drawers as Eren searched for dry clothes and at last the bathroom door being shut.

He sighed. The initial shock was fading, leaving the raven feeling confused. What the fuck had just happened? Why had there been two Erens?

The next time the bathroom door opened, Eren sounded far more chipper.

“There we go. Are you okay now?”

“You’re starting to worry me a little.” Eren paused for a long moment. “I guess if you won’t come out to see me then I’m just going to have to come in there to see you.”

The bed dipped towards the end and Levi heard the shift of fabric as the boy moved up towards his end of the bed. Eren was being careful, moving slowly.

Levi tensed when he felt a hand on his shoulder and then a rush of cool air made him shiver as Eren pulled back the sheets and the blankets to duck beneath them. The boy’s hands were warm where they touched the raven’s arm, gingerly moving up to his shoulder to take hold of the pillow that Levi was still hiding beneath.

Eren waited until the smaller man’s fingers relaxed from their white-knuckled grip on the pillow before he moved it away.

The sight of Eren’s relieved smile was the first thing that the raven saw. The brunette was in his human guise once again, leaning over where Levi lay curled up.

“Hello down there.” The brat smiled.

A pillow smacked him right in the face and the brunette blinked in shock.

“You scared the ever-loving shit out of me!” Levi snapped back at him, snatching the pillow up again and bringing it back down over his head with a whump.

“Levi?”

“Go away.” The raven’s voice came out as a muffled grumble. “This is a time out.”

Eren laughed. “Levi, come on.”

The boy tugged at the pillow again and the raven let it go with a huff of a sigh. And then Levi jerked up, pouncing on the brat, and Eren made a startled sound as a hand wrapped around the back of his neck, yanking him down. The brunette expected some kind of blow, maybe a kick or a punch, and he may very well have deserved that, but what he had _not_ expected was the warm press of another mouth against his own.

Eren remained frozen in shock, not wanting to spook the raven, and he held his hands just above Levi’s shoulders, hovering in the air for a lack of knowing where to put them. The kiss was chaste and only lasted for a few brief moments, but Levi smiled a little when he pulled back.

“Yep, you’re the right brat.” He announced, sitting back on his haunches.

Eren blinked owlishly at him. “H-How’d you figure that?”

“Well who else could be that awkward and get away with it?”

Eren watched the raven smirk, shaking his head at the brunette.

“Compliment?” Eren enquired.

“Shut up.” The raven said through a chuckle.

Levi leaned in for another kiss, then another, and Eren couldn’t believe his luck. The raven pulled away, leaning back when the brunette tried to follow.

“I need to know more.” Levi said in a serious tone.

Eren sighed. “I was afraid that you were going to say that.” The boy exhaled, giving up his pursuit of the raven’s lips. “But you’re right. You deserve some explanation.”

“Good.”

The pair pushed the pillows up to the head of the bed, arranging them so that they could lean back against the headboard. Once that was in place, Levi sat next to Eren. The brat slid an arm behind him, curling it about the smaller man’s waist and tugging him closer.

“Uh-uh.” Levi chastised the boy, waving a stern finger. “No, Eren, no more sugar for you until you explain yourself.”

Eren shook his head gently. “You misunderstand.” He leaned down to press a kiss to the raven’s forehead, leaving a trail across to his temple. “I’m not letting you out of my arms for the foreseeable future. So get over here.”

The raven allowed himself to be pulled closer, fitting snugly against Eren’s side. Tanned arms slid about his middle and the kid buried his face in the smaller male’s hair.

“You smell nice.”

“No flirting either.”

“Aw.”

Levi chuckled at the brat’s pouting face, resting his head against the brunette’s shoulder. “Tell me.”

Eren sighed, pausing to gather his thoughts. “Remember back at the café? I told you I was in hiding because of some trouble back home?”

Levi thought back to their conversation, recalling Eren’s words, and he made a sound of acknowledgement. “Hm.”

Eren nodded at that. “I failed to mention that the trouble I’m hiding from is, in fact, another demon like myself.”

Levi let out a soft groan, feeling Eren wince a little at the sound. “Of course you did. Great.”

“His name is Jean.” The boy continued. “He’s the being in charge of the territory next to mine…and I’m going to kill him.”

The raven let out a bark of a laugh. “That’s a little extreme.”

“Not where I’m from.” Eren said with a shrug. “Happens every day.”

Levi shook his head at the boy. No wonder the kid was so at ease with the concept of death.

“Why do you want to kill him?” The raven pried a little further.

“Firstly, he’s an asshole.” The brunette said, giving a bitter chuckle. “We’ve never gotten on very well. The bastard has always been so smarmy and arrogant, thinking that he’s better than me.” A sigh sounded from the boy. “But he was better. For a long while I’ve had to keep my mouth shut and ignore him because he was stronger, he had more sway with the others…but not anymore.”

Eren sounded more serious talking as he was now than ever before, and Levi didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But he was being open and that was what mattered. Levi didn’t want to hide from Eren, and he didn’t want Eren to hide anything from him…no matter how worrisome.

The raven unconsciously scooted a little closer. “What changed?”

“He got cocky.” Eren answered, sounding smug. The boy gave a hard chuckle. “Well, more than he already was.” The boy gave a shrug and Levi felt the movement. Eren rested his head atop the raven’s head. “I’ve been biding my time; collecting the power that I’m going to need to bring him down.” The brunette paused for a moment and when he spoke again Levi could hear the smile in the kid’s voice. “I can almost hear his dying cries, you know. What sweet music that will be.”

Levi arched an eyebrow. “Kay…getting a little creeped out over here…”

Eren made an apologetic sound and the raven felt a fleeting press of lips against his hair.

“Sorry.” Eren murmured, holding Levi a little tighter. “It’s exciting for me. I’ve been waiting to take down this prick for a long time.”

“But why, Eren? I get that the guy is a bag of dicks, but why do you have to kill him? Can’t you just…I don’t know, turn him into a butt-kissing minion or something?”

Eren snorted at the idea, bringing a hand up to thread through Levi’s hair. “As amusing as that would be, I have to kill him. It’s the only way to obtain his power and where I come from power is everything.” The brunette’s tone took on a darker note. “I don’t plan on remaining a simple trickster all my existence. I have ambitions. I have plans…for my world and yours.”

Levi looked over his shoulder at Eren and saw that the boy had closed his eyes.

“But none of my schemes can be put into action until I have control.” Teal eyes opened again, looking far away until they focused back on Levi. Eren smiled. “I’m not strong enough to take over…not yet.”

Eren had always seemed like a passionate person, but now that the raven knew what it was that drove that passion, he was shocked.

“You want to take over Hell?” Levi asked, raising both eyebrows. “Why the fuck would anyone want that gig?”

The brunette let out a long breath through his nose, staring off towards the wall. “The wrong people are in charge, Levi, and I’m one of the only ones with enough balls to make a stand.”

“Or enough stupidity.” The raven suggested.

Eren chuckled more light-heartedly. “It could be that.” He agreed with a grin.

“So you want to take over a whole world because you’re not happy with how shit’s being run? That’s intense.”

Eren nodded. “No one does anything anymore. It’s maddening. I remember days of glorious chaos and there are more than enough stories of times before even I was around.”

Levi let that sink in; Eren was powerful and getting stronger by the day, he planned to take over all of Hell and wasn’t about to let anything get in his way. And yet he lay holding a human.

Levi gave a soft huff of a laugh and Eren looked at him.

“Something funny?” He asked in a gently amused voice, nuzzling the raven’s shoulder.

With a content little hum, Levi nodded. “If you’re so bent on ruling Hell, why are you here canoodling with me instead?”

The raven-haired man expected the brat to laugh or avoid the question.

“You make me feel things that I’d only ever heard about.” Eren said simply, smiling with his lips against Levi’s skin. “Besides, I told you that I’m still looking for power.” He shrugged. “Might as well pass the time.”

“Tch. Cheeky brat.” Levi flicked the brunette’s forehead. “I thought that you were going to kill that other bastard for that?”

“Jean.” Eren reminded the raven, rubbing at the spot where he had been flicked. “And I am…but not today. There are all kinds of ways to steal power. Far easier ways…” Eren stopped suddenly, giving a little laugh. “But I think we can talk about that some other day. Your poor mind has been through enough trial already.”

Levi couldn’t agree more.

After a short discussion about what to do with the remainder of the day, Levi gave up on them ever deciding and nestled himself against the brat’s warmth, letting his eyes slip shut.

Eren let him sleep, carding his hand through Levi’s soft hair and smiling to himself. He knew that soon he would have to leave, but for now he basked in the brief moment of happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raise your hand if you know who Eren’s suitor is.  
> Not sure when the next chapter will be up because I have to work New Year's Eve. For free, too. Poop. But maybe in a day or two?  
> Some more Eren POV coming up in the next few chapters as well, so look forward to that!  
> HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Thanks to everyone who's stopped by to read this fic and also for all the kudos and comments so far! They mean the world to me!


	13. Three Steps From Loving Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh what’s that? A mini-chapter?! That’s right, work has been done and I worked my butt off to get this finished so HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! This is my gift to y’all!

“I’ll look to higher ground and see this world around you, there’ll be no hesitation.” – Other Lives, Great Sky.

***

 

Two days passed, seemingly normal, as the pair grew more acquainted with each other. Levi no longer found it odd to see the brat lounging around the apartment, nor did he worry about locking the door each night. Eren observed Levi, learning his habits and teasing him about his need to keep things clean. The brat had even taken it so far as to make little screaming noises every time the raven washed something by hand, saying that it wasn’t him making the noise, it was the dishes begging for mercy.

“Noooo, Leviiiiii! Have mercy! Please don’t wash me to death!”

“Eren, no.”

“We’ll be good dishes, just don’t drown meeeeeeee!”

Levi often answered by applying a handful of suds to the brunette’s face.

“There, now you’re clean too.”

“Pleh! These taste awful!”

“You’re not meant to eat them, stupid.”

“Yeah, I know that _now_.”

“What am I going to do with you?”

Lesson learned; soap suds do not taste good.

 

Levi loved tea. If the raven had to make the choice between coffee and tea, he would burn every coffee bean in existence before giving up on his beloved tea leaves.

Despite enjoying sweet things, the raven-haired man preferred to have his tea straight. Apparently he enjoyed the bitter taste. It was natural, refreshing, and a habit that Levi had indulged since his teen years.

Eren enjoyed tea as well, but then again the brat liked pretty much anything that he could taste after years of nothing but blood and ashes.

But Eren learned that Levi’s favouring of tea could be used to his own benefit. By making tea for Levi, the brunette could put the raven into the ideal cuddling spirits. It could take away the rough edges, bringing out the calm and warmer being that the raven mostly kept inside and hidden behind a well mustered scowl. It was a fact that the brunette treasured.

 

The brat wasn’t the only one learning; Levi noticed things as well. It was easy enough to discover what the kid did and didn’t like; Eren was so open about everything.

 

For a start, Eren _loved_ kissing. In fact, the brat enjoyed any kind of activity that meant he could have contact with Levi’s skin. It had an intoxicating effect on the brunette and Levi had to admit that he didn’t mind the attention as much as he said. Kissing, licking, nibbling at the raven’s throat, collar bones, jaw; ever since their day lounging about in Levi’s room, it was all the brat wanted to do.

As the pair sat watching a bit of TV after lunch, Levi felt Eren cosy up beside him. Before long the brunette was nestled against his side, nuzzling the raven’s shoulder.

Levi brought up a hand to thread through Eren’s hair at the first nip against his neck.

“Haven’t you had enough?”

“Have you?” The brunette shot back, lips never leaving their quest along the raven’s shoulder.

“Brat. I asked you first.”

“Then no, I haven’t.” Eren answered honestly, leaning back to rest his head against Levi’s shoulder so that he could look up at him. “I’ve never kissed someone before and I have to make up for all the time I’ve been missing out!”

“Wait,” Levi held the brunette still when he leaned in for a kiss, staring at him in disbelief, “you’ve never kissed someone? Ever?”

Eren looked at the raven like he was a crazy person. “Well duh. Why is that so difficult to believe? I’ve been in Hell most of my existence and the only other times I came to your world was to eat. It never really came up.”

“Right.”

In that respect, Eren was full of surprises. Adorable, pouting surprises.

 

Levi loved cooking. He did it a lot, Eren realised as he observed the man. It seemed incredibly unlikely, but the raven was oddly at peace whenever he was making food. Eren laughed at the irony of that, especially when the man could look so calm whilst wielding a knife.

Eren noticed that Levi enjoyed working with fresh ingredients the best, even if they could sometimes make a mess.

“Look at you…you’re like a little housewife.”

A scoff sounded and Eren’s eyes zeroed in on the flash of silver as the raven held up the knife in his hand for a moment. “I will cut you if that’s what it’ll take to make you be quiet about my domestic skills.”

Eren’s eyes flashed and he grinned, running his tongue over his lips to wet them. “Hey, it wasn’t an insult. Besides, you didn’t let me finish. I was going to say that it was quite sexy.”

“God, you should hear yourself talk sometimes.”

Levi was very proud of his culinary skills, and Eren felt quite proud of him too. It was beyond wonderful to see the raven have something to smile about.

It was when the raven was preparing food that Eren decided to inform him that the time to return to his home had come. Levi was standing in the kitchen, wearing simple comfortable clothes and a dark apron, cutting up vegetables to make a soup. There was a large pot sitting on the stove, slowly being filled with different food items that the raven sliced up.

Eren lay on the sofa on his stomach, watching the speed and precision with which the raven-haired man could slice potato. For once he didn’t attempt to play with the man, or tease him about torturing the food.

“I have to go…” the boy mumbled, half-hoping that the other male wouldn’t hear him.

“Do you now?”

A vain hope, for Levi had quite good hearing. The raven didn’t look up from what he was doing, didn’t pause in his task, and Eren sighed.

“Yeah.” He mumbled in a reluctant tone. “It’s time I set things into motion.”

Levi nodded in response. “Fair enough.”

Eren watched from the sofa, eyes half closed. Levi sounded fine, not suspicious or angry or even sad about the fact that the boy would be leaving, but the brunette couldn’t help but want to be sure.

“You’re okay with it, right?” He asked gently.

As urgently as he needed to go, he couldn’t do so until he was certain that the raven would be okay. Levi had suffered enough at the hands of others…and Eren wouldn’t be just another reason for his human’s heart to ache at night.

But Levi just shrugged from his place in the kitchen. “Why wouldn’t I be?” He asked in his usual nonchalant tone. “It’s your life, kid.”

The brunette nodded at that. “I was worried that you might…not want me to go?”

Eren’s breathing stuttered for the briefest moment as Levi gave a little smile, barely noticeable as he moved more vegetables to be cut.

“I don’t want you to go.” The raven said simply, like it was perfectly normal for him to admit such a thing even though this was the first time Levi had openly expressed any sort of longing for Eren at all. “But I’m not going to stop you. You told me that this demon bullshit means a lot to you, so go do it.”

And suddenly it was all Eren wanted him to say, even if that was as personal as the smaller man would ever get.

The brunette smiled from his place on the couch. “Thanks, Levi.”

“Don’t thank me with words, brat.” The raven chided, setting down the knife in his hands and folding his arms over his chest. “Show me that you mean it.”

Eren scrambled eagerly from the sofa, darting to the kitchen to stand before the smaller male. The boy’s arms wound around Levi’s waist as Eren leaned down to bite gently at the raven’s bottom lip. A soft groan sounded in Levi’s throat when the brat made no further move, teal eyes dancing.

“Tease.” Levi muttered against Eren’s lips, feeling the brat start to smile.

The raven’s hand snaked up behind Eren’s head, tugging him down to bring their mouths together properly. Sharp inhales sounded from both parties; the contact was warm and soft, a perfect parting gift. The brunette hugged the smaller man closer, making a content sound in the back of his throat. But when Eren tried to pull Levi from the kitchen, the raven broke away.

“No, none of that.” The smaller male chided, tapping a finger against the brunette’s nose. “I have to get the soup on before three.”

“Now you’re the one teasing, putting images of little domestic you in my head when I have to go. That’s cruel.”

“Now you’ll have something to come back for.”

Eren pouted but stepped back quickly enough when Levi picked up the knife again. The raven chuckled, turning back to his cutting while the brunette leaned against the end of the counter.

“Can I ask you to do something for me?” Eren asked after a while.

“Depends. What do you want?”

A little sigh came from the brunette and the kid paused long enough for Levi to stop cutting, turning to look at him.

“It isn’t anything too difficult.” Eren assured the raven, swallowing. “Just…stay away from the mirrors. At least until I get back.”

“That’s it?” Levi paused in his cutting, half-turning to raise an eyebrow at the brunette. “What the fuck for?”

“It’s important.”

That was all the kid seemed to be going to say on the matter.

Levi gave a chuckle, shifting his weight onto his back foot.

Eren swallowed; the way the smaller man moved should be labelled as criminal. Not to mention that stupid velvet laughter of his.

“Are you afraid that I’ll fall for my reflection instead?” The raven muttered, a little smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Maybe it is.” Eren answered, looking away. He wasn’t smiling. “Just do it, alright?”

“Why, Eren?”

“I’ll tell you when I come back.”

“ _If_ you come back.” Levi corrected, turning back to his vegetables. “You seem confident, but this guy might just kick your ass.” The raven stated, pointing the knife over at Eren with a flourish of his wrist before hacking off the end of a carrot. “And something tells me that this Jean prick won’t just brush off attempted murder as friendly rivalry.”

Eren looked over at the raven with a dreamy little smile. “Are you worried about me?”

“Should I not be?” The smaller man countered, arching his brow. “Don’t fuck this up, Eren.”

A low chuckle left Eren’s throat through closed lips as he smiled. “Believe me, I won’t.”

There was a short pause and the brunette looked over to see Levi glancing at him with both of his eyebrows raised.

“Well fuck me…someone sounds confident.”

“I am. Oh man, if Jean knew what was coming for him he’d probably shit a brick.”

Levi let out a brief laugh. “Heh. Good God, now you’re starting to sound like me. I must be a bad influence.”

Eren smiled as the raven shook his head. “I wish you could be there to see…”

Levi cast an amused look over at the boy. “You can tell me all about it after you bite the guy’s head off, or whatever the fuck you’re going to do.”

“Bite his head off? That’s adorable.” The brunette looked at Levi like he was the most naïve creature in the universe. “No, no…I’m going to swallow the fucker whole.”

The raven-haired man blinked. Once, and then once more. “Can you even do that?”

Eren grinned, flashing white teeth. “I can.”

“Creepy.” Levi muttered, giving a shake of his head as he scraped the chopped carrots from the cutting board into the pot on the stove. “It’s that kind of talk that makes me nervous when your mouthing at my neck, brat.”

At last Eren laughed aloud. Levi looked at him for a moment, waiting for the kid to explain what was so goddamned funny, but after a good thirty seconds the raven simply glared and reached for the next item to be cut. He was halfway through peeling the skin off an onion by the time Eren’s howling laughter had died down into smaller bursts of giggles.

The brunette was beaming as he straightened up, controlling himself a little more. “Well I wouldn’t start at the neck if I was going to try to swallow you in one go, now would I?”

Levi rolled his eyes at the comment. “How the fuck should I know?”

More giggles sounded and even threats concerning knives could shut the brat up.

“This is why I keep you, Levi.” Eren snickered. “You’re hilarious!”

“Really? Is that all?” The raven gave a smirk as he cut the first onion in half. “And here I thought it was because I have a great ass.”

Eren went quiet then, looking thoroughly surprised. Levi counted that as a personal victory, having finally made a comment that Eren hadn’t instantly had a comeback for. When the boy did speak again, it was in an indignant tone.

“Well I wouldn’t know because you never let me near it.”

Levi snorted at the comment, moving onto the second onion. “After all your weird talk about consuming people? Do you really wonder why?”

“I wouldn’t do that to you. You’re too much fun to have around.”

The raven smirked at that, shaking his head a little as he finished up with the last of the onions, adding them to the pot.

He let out a little sigh, glancing down at the countertop. “You’re really leaving, then?”

Eren looked towards the door with a frown. “Yeah.” He murmured, exhaling. “I should actually get going.”

“Don’t forget to fucking say goodbye.”

Eren pushed off the counter with a laugh, but he paused when Levi looked up at him. The raven’s eyes were red, glistening with moisture. Eren surged forward, taking the other man’s face in his hands and tilting it upward.

“Ack!” Levi tensed at the sudden movement. “Eren, what the-?”

“Are you crying, Levi? Are you really going to miss me that much?”

“Don’t be stupid,” the raven rolled his eyes, giving a little smirk as he reached for a tissue and dabbed his eyes, “it’s just the onions.” Levi gestured back at the remaining uncut white spheres sitting on the bench that would go back into the cupboards. “Nasty little buggers.”

“No,” Eren shook his head rapidly, placing light little kisses all over the raven’s face in rapid succession, “I refuse to accept that. You were crying because you’ll miss me.”

Levi chuckled, closing his eyes at the attention. “Whatever you say, brat.”

 

It took a good ten minutes to boot Eren out of the apartment; the brat couldn’t seem to make it more than three steps without marching straight back and pining Levi against the counter.

At last he made it to the door, staring longingly back at the raven for a long moment.

“I can feel you staring, brat. Get out of here before I chase you with this.”

Eren chuckled as the raven held up the knife for a brief moment, still looking down at his counter.

The brunette left the apartment, closing the door behind him and making his way down the stairs at a leisurely pace.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Eren let out a long sigh and glanced up at the ceiling.

“My Levi…maybe you wouldn’t even like your reflection so much if you actually met him.”

The brunette did not rush as he exited the building; in fact the entire trip was calm. Eren went into the city, weaving his way through crowded streets. He came to a narrow alley, barely anything more than a gap between two buildings, and he slipped right through it. No one noticed the shadow that was Eren as he ducked into the darkened back streets.

Behind the buildings, Eren strolled along, whistling a merry little tune as he shoved his hands into his pockets. He walked towards the end of the alley, where the sunlight shone its golden beams through the canopy of a beautiful green tree, leaving the ground dappled under shadow and light.

If anyone had been in that alley, they might have spotted Eren pausing in front of a silver pane of glass. A closer inspection would have revealed that glass to be a mirror, frameless and tarnished, but still casting a dull reflection. And if anyone had been around, they might have seen the brunette place his hand on the mirror…and disappear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was a little short but hopefully okay? I don’t know :p But in other news, CHAPTER 14 IS COMING SOON!! I’m so excited!!  
> As always, thank you to everyone who has left a comment and kudos or even just read this story! You all make my days better!


	14. Home Sweet Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Chapter 14! This has to be my favourite so far ^_^ And I’m so excited for you guys to read it! So many characters and some actual plot instead of straight up fluff! At last!  
> Also, I feel as though I should mention that the things I write here, particularly what you're about to read, are simple fiction. Just because I write it does not mean that it's what I believe. I am a Catholic. You know, yay God and all that :) But for the purpose of good writing, things are different here.  
> Enjoy!

“If you want something, you have to take it. Because nobody’s ever going to give it to you.” – Morgan Rhodes, Falling Kingdoms.

***

 

Hell. The realm of fire and punishment. It was an immense expanse of wastelands, barren and charred earth, marshes, swamps and cruel mountain ranges.

For Eren, it was home.

People think that all bad souls are sent to Hell after they leave their physical form and pass on. That is true. What people do not know is that souls are not each individually kept within the confines of Hell. That was a highly impractical idea; surely if that were the way things worked then Hell would fill up and the souls would escape, right?

Right. To solve this problem, there are demons.

Demons are monstrous creatures that prey upon souls, and humans too if they get the chance. They can take many forms, but ironically the most common image taken is that of their human cousins. Some think that this was done on purpose, to mock their less powerful kin. Even the lowest and weakest of demonic beings can consume souls, and doing so grants power. Because of this, there are many different classes that demonic beings can belong to.

Consume enough mortal souls and a being’s class is raised as their power grows. Do enough bad things and sometimes a human soul can be born again as a demon. Some of the more power-hungry demons have been known to consume their own kind in order to gain strength.

Eternal punishment isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. You do bad things, you die, you get eaten. Sure, having your entire core being ripped apart cell by cell to join a new body is painful, but hardly everlasting.

There is more than one way to get to the dying realm. First, of course, is the direct route. Otherwise known as death. But if you’re clever and know your way around, there is another route…and it is called the way through. It travels back and forth, connecting the living world with its twin, and most people gaze into it every day without even realising it.

Getting to Hell was one thing. Getting back…now that took a little more effort.

The only way through is via mirrors, which are able to take a creature to the other side by connecting the being with its reflection. Each and every human being may find their ‘twin’ on the other side, and nine times out of ten the two beings are polar opposites. A strange, almost coincidental occurrence, maybe, but useful in its own way. One sure-fire way to tell if your demonic half is still trapped within the realm of fire is to look into a mirror. If you have a reflection, then you have nothing to worry about. If you don’t…it might be time to hit the panic button. This little fact has led to many myths and mysteries within human culture, such as vampires, ghosts and witches to name a very few.

Mirrors that are portals between the two worlds can’t reflect half of the same image, and so there must be a twin on either side for a reflection to be produced. Ergo, if you cannot see yourself in a mirror, your demon half is loose in the living world.

Travelling via these silver portals can take a lot of getting used to. Most of the time a creature would be taken directly to its twin in the opposite realm. But if you know your way around like Eren does, you can go anywhere.

The rules are simple enough once learned. Hold an image in your mind and you will be taken to that place. Think of a specific person or voice and you can be transported close to them.

Not every mirror acts as a portal, but it is possible to create a link through any mirror. Normal reflective surfaces such as regular glass or polished plastic may act as windows through to the twin worlds, allowing illusions or visions into the separate worlds and sometimes enabling communication, but only mirrors can allow actual physical transportation.

Not _every_ mirror, but _any_ mirror.

Some mirrors are permanent portals that cannot be closed apart from being shattered, while others can remain in a state of flux.

Such a thing might cause a person to worry, what with there being so many mirrors in the living world. Demons pride human beings in their vanity; it’s almost as if people want to be possessed.

To protect human life, demons have a number of limitations placed on them. The more powerful a creature, the more difficult it becomes to make the crossing between worlds. But at the same time, not having enough strength can also hinder travel. Many foolish sapling demons are lost this way; yet another factor that prevents the dying realm from filling up.

However, the most specific restriction for travel is due to the simple fact that there are only a select few mirrors in Hell…and the largest of all is kept by a colossal guardian. This being was one of few demons well known by mankind, although stories of his power have been greatly exaggerated and twisted over time.

A red skinned giant; gate guardian of Hell and keeper of the way through.

Eren stepped through the silver pane of glass and into the dead world, smiling brightly as he looked around. His human form was scorched away and blue-green eyes burned like fire. The brunette turned his gaze upon the giant, smile growing.

“Lucifer, baby! How are you?”

The enormous humanoid creature never paused in its pacing, massive feet crunching the charred earth beneath with each step.

“Not in the mood for chatter? I get it, that’s cool. I’m just passing through anyway.” Eren shrugged, brushing soot off his shoulder as he strode away, giving a single wave to the behemoth. “Talk to you next time, big guy.”

Wings spread, the brunette rocketed off from the ground in a rush, trailing blue sparks. The black earth of his home flew by beneath him and soon the demon could see his own land. Claimed through beating and brutal warfare, Eren was proud of each and every stone he called his. Soon he would possess much more land and his eyes turned to the territory that sat on the northern boundary of his turf.

Another expanse of barren black dirt and rock that stretched twice as far as his own.

Eren landed in a crouch in the midst of his camp, eyes flicking up to meet the shining black gaze of his right hand warrior.

“Welcome back, Eren.”

“Mikasa,” the brunette greeted with a nod as he straightened out of his crouch and stretched, “is everyone ready?”

The raven-haired girl gave a nod and started walking alongside Eren.

“The army is ready, Armin has informed everyone of the plan and your comrades are preparing for battle.”

“Excellent, that’s what I like to hear.” The brunette said with a smile, eyes seeking out the mop of blonde hair that belonged to another of his comrades. “Armin! How is everything looking, my little master strategist?”

The blonde gave a squeak when an arm looped over his shoulders. Eren gave the startled creature a wink and ruffled his hair.

“E-Everything looks g-good, Eren.” The smaller male stammered, voice growing a little higher. “Reiner is going to set a siege to the castle while your foot soldiers will deal with Jean’s forces.”

“Sounds good. What about the elites?”

“M-Mikasa and Annie will stay with you and Marco has switched sides now so I gave him the left squad to command. That’s the side Reiner will be on so we can be sure that he’ll have decent warning if things go south.”

“Good, that’s really good, Armin.” Eren praised, patting the blonde on the back. “But let Annie have the right sector, I can handle myself well enough. Mikasa will stay with me, that’s fine. Send Bertholdt up with Reiner, we don’t want to take any chances. Two heads are better than one, especially in the heat of battle. Bert can watch blondie’s back and keep him out of trouble.”

“Y-Yes, of course.” Armin stammered, trembling a little. “I-I’ll go let e-everyone know what’s changed.”

Eren turned the blonde towards him, smiling reassurance. “Hey now, don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine, you’ll see! We have nothing to worry about.” The brunette grinned, clapping Armin on the back as he strode off towards the gathering squabble.

Mikasa followed silently behind him, coal eyes ever-watchful.

Eren sensed her doubt and he sighed. “If you have something to say, Mika, then say it now.”

The girl was quiet for a moment longer before she exhaled. “Are you sure that this is a good idea?” She asked, coming to stand next to the brunette and they both looked out over the land that would soon be crawling with their warriors. “Jean isn’t some simple spawn.”

“Neither am I.” Eren replied curtly, flexing his wings for emphasis.

“You don’t have to prove anything to me, Eren.” The ravenette murmured, looking at the ground as her fingers wove through the scarlet fire about her neck. “But what makes you so sure that you can beat him? What do you possess that he doesn’t.”

“Good looks?”

“Be serious.”

Eren laughed, the light-hearted sound seeming ridiculously out of place in light of the situation. He turned to the raven-haired girl and smiled.

“Trust me, Mikasa. Jean won’t know what hit him.” He turned back, looking out towards his enemy’s territory. “Give the signal…let’s move in.”

Mikasa nodded, turning her face to the sky and a bolt of lightning shot down to strike the ground across the border. Eren watched as his army of demonic beings charged, snarling and gnashing their wicked teeth. Some could fly, others simply ran.

Eren spread his wings, looking to Mikasa before taking off and flying out to lead his force.

Their goal was Castle Kirschtein, the place where the leader of the land could be found. Rumour said that Jean hadn’t actually left the stone walls in months, having taken to locking himself up to lounge with his booze and demonic whores. Pitiful.

The castle that Jean inhabited was quite a modest structure, built solely for the purpose of making Kirschtein look noble and powerful. It was constructed out of stone and had no moat, only high walls and a ring of great boulders about the base.

Eren soared downward, landing at the head of his army, and wrinkled his nose. “This place reeks. I can smell Kirschtein from here.”

Mikasa landed, her pointed ears pricking up.

“He’s here, Eren.”

Glowing teal eyes snapped up, searching.

From the top of his castle tower, the tall and arrogant demon known as Jean appeared. He wore a lazy smile, leaning one elbow in the stone wall.

“Eren…long time no see.” The ashbrown gave a casual little wave. “I thought you’d been picked off already? What a shame.”

The brunette gave a scoff. “Hello to you too, asshole.”

Jean didn’t seem very concerned by the sight of a good thousand snarling demons parked on his doorstep. “What do you want, Eren?” He looked almost bored with the situation.

“Everything.” The brunette replied, and above him the dark sky gave a low rumble of thunder.

The ashbrown snorted, apparently thoroughly amused by Eren’s response. “Not sure I can help you there,” he said with a shrug, glancing off for a moment, “you might want to ask the inner territory.” Suddenly Jean looked back, his lazy grin making Eren’s hands ball into fists. “Oh, but I forgot, that would bring back some painful memories, wouldn’t it…Jaeger?”

“Shut it, Jean! I’m not here to talk.”

“Still got your daddy issues, I see? How adorable.”

Eren rolled his eyes, inclining his head towards Mikasa.

“This is why we don’t get along.” He muttered in exasperation, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I can’t believe that you were honestly considering getting with this piece of shit.”

Mikasa gave her own frustrated sigh. “It was a long time ago, Eren. Let it go.”

“I wish I could…but the imagery just keeps worming its way back inside my head. Gross.” The brunette shuddered.

The previously smirking Jean rolled his eyes at the conversation, eyes roaming over the gathering of snarling creatures. Eren had really upped his game since the last attempt. This fight could just turn out to be interesting. And then the ashbrown’s eyes settled on a demon with dark hair and a face he knew well. The freckles should have been a giveaway, but Jean couldn’t quite bring himself to believe it.

“Marco?” He murmured, standing a little straighter. “What are you doing out there?”

Down on the ground, Marco gave a sigh and looked up, a pained expression twisting his features. “Just…don’t struggle, Jean.” The freckled demon said, his voice as gentle as it had ever been. “It’s better this way.”

The ashbrown frowned, looking confused. “Better…what do you mean?”

Eren scoffed, stepping forward. “I’m taking this place, Jean. I told you I would.”

Jean laughed, throwing his head back and chortling. “Yeah right, good one.” He said between chuckles. “I’d say you and what army but it looks like you actually came prepared. Smart…but it won’t save you.”

The brunette’s eyes flashed and he gave a sly smile. “Don’t count on that. There’s a good deal you don’t know, Kirschtein. You’ve been too busy lazing about to notice.”

Waving the threat away, Jean made a dismissive sound. “What’ve you got that’s different from the last time, hmm? Or the time before that?” The ashbrown glared down at Eren, resting both hands on the stone of the wall. “I’ve wasted your ass before and I’ll do it again. I can handle anything you throw at me.”

“So you say, but we’ll see who’s still standing after this.” The sky flashed with lightning, illuminating the area. Jean looked up at the sky, Eren didn’t so much as flinch. “It’s over, Jean. Your reign ends here.”

All at once a deafening boom tore through the air, so loud that it caused the earth to tremor. A brilliant flash of white-blue light erupted around Eren and time seemed to slow as that light grew to such an intensity that nothing else could be seen. And then the light was gone, revealing a gigantic humanoid beast in the place where Eren had stood.

The being was a tower of muscle, sinew and smoke, breathing fumes and towering over the demons below. It must have been twenty metres tall at least, as high as a three storey house and easily tall enough to see over the walls of the castle.

Dark hair, the same shade as Eren's, fell to below the gargantuan's pointed ears. Two great eyes burned like green fire, slightly sunken into a sharply featured face. The skin around the jaws did little to cover the rows of great teeth that lead back into the skull, and a howling roar ripped through the beast’s throat.

Jean stood frozen, unable to believe what was there before his very eyes.

“Wh-Wha?”

This he was not prepared for. An army of demonic fiends, maybe, but a whole giant with Eren’s power? Not at all.

As if the transformation was some kind of signal, another booming crash shook the air and Jean saw another giant rising from the smoke. This one slightly smaller and skinless unlike the first, with blue eyes and blonde hair, it took a fighting stance as the warriors below began to charge forward.

A third and final explosion sounded and another skinless behemoth armoured in plates of bone and scale charged the castle walls.

_“It’s over, Jean. Your reign ends here.”_

Eren was right; there was no escaping this. No defeating the terrible power smashing his defences into rubble, no running from the monstrosity that was Eren as he ran Jean down, footsteps echoing like thunder, shaking in the ashbrown’s very being.

Jean’s army fled in screaming flurries, retreating back into the confines of the castle. Those who didn’t make it were crushed, slain or eaten.

The stone walls of Kirschtein’s fortress shook, crumbling under the assault from the armoured giant, and the smaller of the three monsters launched great hunks of rock over the walls.

Jean stood frozen in fear, gawking up at the enormous figure of Eren’s giant form as two emerald orbs held his terrified stare.

A colossal clawed hand reached for him and then the petrified demon was swinging in the air, dangling by his feet and screaming protest as he was lifted ever higher. Eren held his foe out in front of him, green eyes appraising as the pitiful fiend pleaded for his life.

“Eren! Eren, Eren, c’mon man! It doesn’t have to be like this!” Jean cried out, laughing in a panic as he swung in the monstrous grip. “I mean, sure, we don’t really see eye to eye all the time but-ah! AH!”

The ashbrown shouted as he was pulled higher, up in front of Eren’s large eyes. The huge green pools twinkled with amusement.

“M-Mikasa? Talk some sense into your lil’ bro for me, would you? Marco? Anyone?”

Jean’s pleas came faster and faster, through shouts and cries and tears as the ashbrown realised that this would be his end.

“B-But we could still work this out, Eren! We could work together! Please!”

“Is this about the time I hit on your sister? B-Because I was totally joking! N-Not that she wouldn’t make a good match-Eren please don’t kill me!”

“I’m a weasel, alright? A coward, a creep, call me whatever you want _just put me down_ , yeah?”

“Eren? Eren, no. _Eren, can we talk about this?_ WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS, EREN NO!”

“DON’T! EREN! PUT ME DOWN! _NO! STOP! AAAAHHH-!_ ”

Jean’s terrified screams died abruptly as he was dropped into Eren’s mouth, enormous jaws snapping shut with a sound like thunder. Brilliant gold and blue light erupted in the monster’s eyes and for a moment everything was lost in the vibrant rays. When the lights finally faded, the monstrous creature was gone and Eren stood in his original form.

“Yowie! That sting always gets me, you know?” The brunette laughed as he shook his hands out by his sides, near giddy with the rush of strength surging through him.

Mikasa didn’t seem to find the humour in the situation as she watched him dance about for a moment.

“Are you happy now?”

Eren looked up, eyes ablaze, and he grinned. “Overjoyed, sister mine.”

Coal eyes regarded him coolly. “Was it worth it?”

“For those pitiful cries? It was worth every second.” Eren clapped his hands together once, turning on his heel and looking over the new expanse of land that he could call his. “Go be a dear and make sure that none of Jean’s minions are still loyal to him. Bring the ones that are to me, along with any that you suspect might betray us.”

“Will you be consuming them as well?”

“Of course.”

“Do you really think any of them will reveal disloyalty after that performance of yours?” She paused as Eren hesitated, turning his gaze on her and waiting for the girl to continue. She did, “Do you honestly want your empire of fear to start before you take over?”

The brunette waited as he considered the questions Mikasa had put forth. Blue-green eyes flickered, dark pupils narrowing in thought.

“Good point…” Eren agreed at last, biting his lip. He paused, glancing back at his new territory once more. “Oh, what the heck. Round them all up! We shall have a feast! Make sure Armin comes along, it’s about time he got a taste of strength.”

“What about the castle?”

Eren’s lip curled back and he sneered.

“Burn it.”

The raven-haired demon gave a single nod. “Right away, brother.”

Eren watched her spread her wings and take off in a rush of soot and wind. He smiled, breathing in the rancid air. The plan was finally set in motion and their first goal had been achieved. It would take a little while to adjust to his new strength, but soon he could return to the living world.

The next few phases of his scheme were crucially important and he would have to lie low, keeping out of sight until the right moment. Oh, the stories he would bring back to his human.

Eren’s eyes flared at the thought and at the same time he watched Mikasa send a searing ball of scarlet fire towards the ruined remnants of the castle. He stretched and began to stride towards the prisoners gathered.

What a feast this would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Demon picnic, anyone?  
> I’m so glad that this chapter is finally up! Woo! And before the sun has set? O_O Holy moly! Hopefully no one will want to kill me for pillaging what I know of faith systems o_o It's only for entertainment, please don't burn me at the stake!  
> Oh, and the monster that Eren turns into is pretty much a more demonic version of what his titan form in SnK looks like, just in case it wasn't obvious.  
> Next chapter should be Levi’s POV so look forward to that ^_^ and there could be some more plot-ness happening :)


	15. Let Me Be Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I typed through the night, literally, it’s like morning now O_O, to get this chapter out so I can start on the next one because it has a scene that I have literally been waiting for since I first thought up chapter 6!  
> Back to Levi’s POV for this chapter :) and a bit of a wind-down from the intensity that was chapter 14.  
> Enjoy!

“Heart, cover your tracks. The blood that you’ve spilled will wash what you lack.” – A Boy And His Kite, Cover Your Tracks.

***

 

Time was a fickle thing. It had been a mere day since Eren had walked out of the apartment, and yet somehow to Levi it felt longer.

So much longer.

As far as Levi’s lips were concerned, it may as well have been a week. He hadn’t realised how addicting Eren’s kisses could be until the brat was gone.

He’d woken up at 6:00am, cold and on the floor. Only one day without Eren and Levi’s nightmares seemed to have struck twice as bad. He couldn’t remember what horrid images had haunted him but they had been enough to make him roll off the bed.

Brushing himself off, Levi went about his morning routine.

The flat was remarkably peaceful without the brunette’s near-constant chatter, but for once the raven missed the noise. He had grown quite used to seeing the brat sprawled out across his sofa or on the carpet…or anywhere really. Eren had wormed his way into Levi’s life through stubbornness and cheeky determination. It almost felt wrong to have him gone.

It was nothing too painful, nothing that he couldn’t deal with for a few days, but it was strange.

Strange to realise that he had let someone else in.

Levi wasn’t used to missing someone for the right reasons, without baggage or history weighing the feelings down. It hurt in all the right ways, if such a thing were possible. The raven’s heart ached with fondness rather than painful memories, and the thought of Eren returning was something Levi was looking forward to.

The brat’s cheeky suggestion of a ‘surprise’ waiting for him when he got back swam up through Levi’s thoughts and he smirked, wondering what the kid would do if he came home to find the raven dressed up in drag or something ridiculous. He could almost picture the look of shock on the brat’s face. It was almost tempting enough to make Levi call Hanji and tell her to bring him that stupid maid’s dress she’d bought him one year for Christmas.

Of course the woman would still have the wretched thing, even if Levi had threatened to burn it and anyone who came near him with it.

But maybe that sort of thinking was a bit sudden. After all, as oddly fond as he was of Eren, the two had known each other for less than a month. Levi decided that perhaps that sort of teasing would need to wait a while.

Oh yes, he could wait. But the thoughts would be there to entertain him in the meantime.

Two new videos were made and posted onto his blog and Levi felt quite satisfied with himself for getting so much editing done in such a short time. He cleaned, he cleaned again and even took a nap to pass the time. That was enough to get Levi through to 10:30am.

With little else left to occupy himself with, the raven decided to check up on his emails.

There were a few from Nanaba, one from Mike with some training suggestions, a shit tonne from Hanji and some from his students. But there was one email in particular that caught Levi’s eye in a bad way. He stared at the name for a long moment, feeling his temper starting to rise.

Fucking Erwin Smith.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The raven growled under his breath and clicked on the message from one ‘e.smith’, scowling at the title in the subject row.

 

_To: l.ackerman_

_From: e.smith_

_Subject: Dinner For Two?_

_Sorry, I only used that title because I knew you would open it. I do feel bad about preying on your temper, apologies. You haven’t called, so I figured that I’d better reach out via other means. I still think we should talk, get a little closure, work things out? Please get back to me,_

_E.Smith._

 

Erwin really did know him too well, the bastard. Of course Levi would get mad and open the damned message. And now if he didn’t at least respond, Levi would feel like the one being a douche. Great. Just perfect. The raven haired man glared at the ‘Reply?’ button for a long moment, hands clenching and unclenching as he forced himself to breathe.

What a fucking smug as shit asshole!

Levi had never felt more purpose as he typed out a reply as calmly as he could manage.

 

_To: e.smith_

_From: l.ackerman_

_Subject: Go Suck A Dick_

_My bad, I only used that title because I knew you wouldn’t be able to scroll past it, you fucker! How the fuck did you get my email? Have you been harassing Mike?_

 

Levi was fully prepared to shut down his laptop and maybe punch a wall when a ping sounded from his computer.

Erwin had replied…which meant that he was online now. Had he been waiting for Levi on purpose? Or was this simply a coincidence?

Throwing the thought to the wind, the raven glanced at the little notification and clicked on it, eyes roving over the newly typed words.

 

_Reply from e.smith:_

_Charming as ever, Levi. No, I have not been harassing anyone. I found your blog; the email is listed on your contacts page._

_P.S. Looking as spry as ever._

 

Levi groaned, sitting back in his chair as he read Erwin’s attempt at flirting. This couldn’t be happening. It had to be an awful nightmare.

Another ping sounded and Levi peered through the fingers he’d brought up to cover his face with, spying the chat request flashing on his computer screen.

 

_e.smith wants to chat with you! Accept? Decline?_

 

The man had brought him nothing but pain for years, and that was without the fucker even being there. Levi didn’t want to know what kind of hurt he might feel if he let Erwin Smith back into his life.

With a longsuffering sigh, the raven hovered the mouse over the button to accept the request.

Levi began typing almost immediately, determined not to let Erwin have the first word.

 

_l.ackerman: Erwin, what in fucks name were you even doing on my blog?_

 

The pause was only short before Erwin replied.

 

_e.smith: Browsing._

 

Levi scoffed at the reply, if it could even be called that. Erwin had always been so good with words and fancy, flourished sentences. Yet now he was giving one word half-assed responses? What the fuck?

 

_l.ackerman: I’ve never realised how much of a creeper you sound like until just now. Stop with your old man wank sessions and get to the point already._

_e.smith: I was just trying to get in touch with you. You could have just called._

_l.ackerman: Fuck you, what if I didn’t want to?_

_e.smith: I guessed as much, which is why I was perusing your blog._

_l.ackerman: Oh, so you’ve been cyber-stalking me? Great. Stop being an internet pervert and come say whatever you’re going to say to my face, you big blonde stack of shit!_

_e.smith: So you’ll meet me then?_

_l.ackerman: Is that what it’ll take for you to stop with all this?_

_e.smith: Maybe it is._

The raven made a frustrated sound. Erwin knew how to play him, knew that giving him an option like this would look too good to turn down, even if there was a risk that it was all bogus claims. And Levi would fall for it every goddamned time.

Even now he felt his resolve wither, reaching again for the keyboard to type.

_l.ackerman: Fine. When?_

_e.smith: Are you free for lunch? Why don’t we meet up in the square near your work?_

Levi was in fact free for lunch. He was free all damned day without Eren around. But if he was going to agree to seeing Erwin, then he wanted to make sure that the big blonde fucker didn’t get to call all the shots.

_l.ackerman: I want Italian. Anything else and I won’t come._

_e.smith: Anything you want. I’ll see you at Mina’s at around 12:00pm?_

_l.ackerman: If you’re late, I’ll skin you alive._

_e.smith: See you soon._

_Close chat._

 

“Tch. Asshole.”

Levi had a good mind to just tell Erwin that he already had someone and to fuck off because nothing was ever, ever going to happen between them. Ever.

But he wondered very much what the blonde had to say.

And so when the clock read 11:20, Levi pulled on some nicer clothes than his lay-about-the-apartment-sweat pants, grabbed a dark coat and marched out of his apartment. By 11:55 the raven had reached the square and was heading for the building with swirling read letters that spelt ‘Mina’s’.

Mina’s was an Italian restaurant tucked away in a quieter corner of Sina Square. It was only small, but the food was decent and the calmer spot apparently helped to draw in less rowdy customers. It also helped to set the romantic atmosphere that the place was known for and Levi was more than a little suspicious.

“Just needs to talk, my ass.” He muttered to himself through clenched teeth.

It was impossible to miss the giant of a man waiting at one of the tables set up outside. Levi’s eyes quickly assessed the table.

No candles of bullshit roses were in sight, thank God. Levi really didn’t want to have to commit murder in broad daylight, but if there had been sappy shit like roses waiting for him then Erwin would have been a dead man.

Erwin was sitting with his back to Levi at that moment, and Levi didn’t so much as greet him as he strode past.

“Outside seating? Wise choice.” The raven muttered as he passed by.

Erwin didn’t so much as flinch at the sudden appearance.

“I thought you’d appreciate the space.” The blonde man said with a smile.

“You’re fucking right there.” Levi agreed, glaring at Erwin when he stood to pull out Levi’s seat for him. “Sit your ass down, I can get my own damned chair.”

The blonde-haired man chuckled low, blue eyes twinkling with amusement as he watched the raven yank out the white framed seat and sit down. “Thank you for meeting with me.” Erwin murmured at last, his tone genuine. “I was worried that you wouldn’t show.”

Levi cocked an eyebrow at him, folding his arms. “I considered leaving you waiting.” He admitted, inclining his head a little. “But then again, that would make _me_ the asshole and I’d hate to take that role from you.”

The blonde hummed his amusement. “You really haven’t changed a bit. Well, except for the accessories. They suit you, though.”

“You’re damned right, they do.” The raven agreed, leaning back in his chair. “Now, are you going to compliment me all day, or are we actually going to talk?”

“We can talk.” Erwin nodded, still smiling gently as he relaxed back into his seat. “But I wasn’t joking about lunch. I ordered you the seafood linguini

Levi’s eyes narrowed; Erwin obviously still recalled the raven’s love of seafood. Sly bastard.

But still, maybe Levi could salvage the situation a little. “What kind of-”

“King prawns, scallops and crab.” Erwin cut him off, apparently having anticipated Levi’s habit of nit-picking when it came to food. “You’ll like it.”

Or maybe he couldn’t salvage it. No indeed, it looked like the blonde beefcake had the higher ground on this one. The raven rolled his eyes, annoyed because Erwin was right. Always right.

Their food arrived shortly afterwards. Erwin, the freak, had ordered for himself a simple bolognaise dish. The stringy pasta sat in a ridiculously high mound on his plate and Levi cringed to see that the blonde still had no problem butchering foreign cuisine. The pair ate in relative silence, except for one brief outburst from Levi when one of the waiters had made the awful mistake of referring to the pair as a couple.

“I’m not his date! You take that back or I’ll shove this fucking fork up your-”

“Levi. Sit down, you’re being ridiculous.”

“If you want to keep those looks, Erwin, I’d shut the fuck up. Right now.”

“…”

“Wise choice.”

After the food, the talking came. Levi was beyond surprised to find that Erwin really did have actual questions to ask. He started, of course, with the obvious topic of work.

“So I take it from the look of your blog that you’re into fitness?”

“Yep.” The raven replied dryly.

Erwin cast him a knowing look, easily picking up on the reluctant tone. “And you teach it?”

Levi decided that it would be best to behave and get it over with. “I’m an instructor at Sina Dojo, yeah.”

The blonde nodded, looking just the slightest bit impressed. “I see.” He murmured, thinking on that for a moment. “Any specialities?”

“Martial arts and self-defence.”

“My, my…” Ice blue eyes glinted and an almost playful smile curved Erwin’s lips. “Now that would be a sight to see.”

“Keep dreaming.” Levi deadpanned, eyes narrowing a fraction.

The blonde only chuckled. “Oh? Would you turn me down so freely if I came to your dojo as a potential client?”

Levi laughed once, the sound harsh. “No.” He admitted with a shake of his head. “I’d bring you straight into the main hall and kick your sorry ass.”

Erwin laughed at that, taking a sip of his white wine. Yet another thing that the blonde remembered was Levi’s love of wine. He’d bought a whole bottle of red for the raven to indulge in, but so far Levi had only taken a few cautious sips.

The raven-haired man sat, tracing a finger around the rim of the glass idly, ever wary of the mastermind that lay behind the charming smiles. Where Levi was quick to act, Erwin was slow and patient…twice as dangerous in his own way.

And so the wine remained mostly untouched.

Erwin frowned a little, gesturing to the bottle.

“Not to your taste?”

“It’s fine.” Levi murmured, setting the glass down and settling into his chair. “What about you? What do you do now?”

A shrug, Levi watched the man’s broad shoulders roll with the motion.

“Nothing too exciting.” The blonde said, sipping his drink. “Just office type work.”

“Pay well?”

“Well enough.”

Levi nodded and another silence crept in to sit at their table. The weren’t exactly…awkward, per se, but there was a distinctly unnatural feel to each quiet moment. If was like they were two pieces of an old jigsaw puzzle that had never quite fit together in the first place, but some determined young kid would always try to push the pieces together. That force, that push that had always driven the two towards one another, seemed to have gone.

“Did you get to travel much?” Levi asked after a while, his eyes dropping to the tablecloth.

“Hmm?” Erwin frowned a little, looking up.

“When you went…away.” The raven attempted to clarify. “To study? You said that there would be a bit of travel.”

“Oh, yes of course.” The blonde nodded, swirling the transparent yellow liquid in his glass. “I went to a few places, England, Germany, I even got to spend a little time in France. It was all very beautiful, a tremendous experience. But most of my time was spent in Italy, ironically enough. I spent the last year in Rome, finishing up my studies. So many cathedrals, good God. Some of the architecture over there, it’s just…let me tell you…”

Erwin went on to describe everything to Levi, and the raven felt that old familiar ache as he was granted every last bit of the blonde’s attention. It was as if the other man’s words now were for Levi and Levi alone, like Erwin had held onto his memories from overseas in such detail for the sole purpose of coming home to tell the raven.

It hurt.

Levi allowed himself to look at Erwin, to honestly look, and take in the detail. The man was as impeccably dressed as ever, in a simple grey suit that was probably meant for his work. It was flattering, lending the man an air of professionalism and authority. A simple gold chain hung from the man’s neck, adorned with naught but a little gold cross. Elegant in its simplicity.

Erwin had always been like that; extraordinary and sophisticated, but simple. Almost too simple for it to be fair, really.

“I missed you.” Levi said suddenly, interrupting whatever Erwin had been saying about churches, and the blonde looked over at Levi in surprise. “A lot. After you left.” The raven continued. “I thought that…maybe it was me? Maybe I drove you away?” A heavy sigh left the smaller man. “You really messed me up, you know?”

Levi shook his head, wondering where the spiel had come from, and reached for his glass. He took a long gulp of the scarlet liquid, steel eyes regarding the look on Erwin’s face.

It was so close to regret that the raven almost laughed.

Erwin looked like he was trying to put together his words and his feelings…but that had never really been a strong point for the blonde. Erwin Smith was a man of logic and reason, not emotional drive. When he did start to open his mouth, Levi shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m good now.”

The raven shocked himself with how sure he’d sounded.

But it was the truth. Levi was fine with his life as it was; he had no desire to run after memories of the past. Both men paused, looking at each other like they were both complete strangers.

The raven looked off to one side to escape those intense blue eyes of Erwin’s. “So…do you still have that thing about cats?” Levi asked after a long moment of silence. “Or did you get over that?”

Erwin managed a little smile. “I’m more of a dog person, really.” He replied, glancing up from the table.

Ah, subject changing. Works every time.

“Figures.” Levi said, nodding to himself. “You could have just said it, though.”

The blonde-haired man furrowed his brows in confusion. “Said what?”

“That you’re still scared of cats.” The raven shrugged, a sly little smirk tugging at his lips.

Erwin had never been a fan of cats. Both men remembered the first time that Erwin had ever come over to Levi’s house when they were still teens. Levi, of course, had owned two of the fuzzy little creatures, and the little devils had been the absolute masters of cockblocking.

Levi snorted at all the ridiculous times those cats had come in and rained the awkward parade. There really was nothing quite so uncomfortable about being stark naked and having two cats stare at you.

It had gotten to a point where they had to go to Erwin’s place instead.

The blonde’s eye twitched a little at the reminder. “I’m not scared of them.” He argued, voice strained but calm. “They just…they’re weird.”

“Because they sleep upside down and vibrate when they purr?” Levi made a sound somewhere between a scoff and a laugh. “That’s what most people would call ‘cute’, you big fraidy-cat.”

Erwin almost rolled his eyes at the terrible pun, only just resisting the urge.

He shook his head. “It’s not just that, they’re like…little furry ninjas from hell.”

Levi, who had just taken a mouthful of his wine, nearly sprayed it all over the blonde-haired man at the sound of his deep voice uttering the words ‘ninjas from hell’ while holding a straight face. The raven clapped a hand over his mouth, swallowing hard before he could laugh and choke himself.

Erwin went on undeterred, completely serious. “How can they move so quietly? And I swear to God those two terrors that you owned could teleport.”

“Pfft!”

“I’m serious, Levi! We locked the doors, the windows, everything, but they still got in? How?”

Levi was chuckling aloud now, hiding his half smile with the back of his hand. “Fucking hell, one of these days I’m going to lock you in a room filled with the buggers, record the whole thing and see if it goes viral.”

“Please don’t.”

More chuckling. The afternoon continued like that, with the two of them swapping banter, sometimes bickering, but Levi made sure that they kept to light topics. Neither party really wanted to delve too deeply into emotional topics. Not today.

And so as two o’clock rolled around the pair of men ordered desserts and Levi wondered if maybe he could make things work out between them. The guy had really straightened out, surely he could understand that the two of them could never work together? Erwin would understand if he told him about living with Eren, wouldn’t he?

Maybe…after dessert…he would find the right words to break the news.

“Fingers crossed…” The raven murmured under his breath.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Nothing. Eat your tart, old man.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who thinks Erwin will take the news well?  
> So next chapter is another of my favourites, I say that but I haven’t actually written a word of it yet. But the idea is great and it’s gonna be epic! Woooo!


	16. Don't Touch My Stuff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter before I take a little break to babysit the new kitten we just got. Her name is Hanji and she is a black and tabby ball of destruction.  
> But here, have some Eren POV.  
> I might have forgotten who’s POV I was writing in the middle, but it straightens out towards the end. I think.  
> Enjoy!

“And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, there you go and do it all again. Hope this feeling never ends.” – Lindsey Ray, You Make Me Happy.

***

 

Time passes differently in Hell. It is in a constant state of flux; moving between real-time and gradually growing faster until it snaps right back again. And so the loop continues.

Eight days had passed for Eren since the invasion of Kirschtein’s land. Everything was in proper order; his army had dispersed here and there about the land, scouts kept a constant watch across the new borders of the brunette’s territory and so far none of the neighbouring lands seemed to have noticed Jean’s disappearance.

All of the ashbrown’s minions were gone, devoured or slain for sport, and the brunette had returned to his own dwelling in the mountains.

Eren didn’t like the word ‘castle’. It sounded too smarmy and to proud. Instead, the brunette called the structure his fortress. That was a word with far more purpose, and Eren’s domain had been built for the purpose of progress. Unlike his dead rival, Eren kept no distractions about his headquarters. It was a place for work, not play, and he had a whole other world to distract himself with when the need arose.

Many of the elites had retired there in his mountain fortress to keep up with their training and remain out of sight. Mikasa also made herself at home in the building as it was she who kept watch over Eren’s land whenever he was away.

The boy had finally decided that it was safe enough to leave again. Everything was in order, his claim to the land was valid and no one was asking questions.

Making it back to the living realm had never burned quite so much as it did that particular trip. Eren sprawled onto the ground as the alley mirror spat him out at last, and the brunette shut his eyes against the glaring sunlight.

A relieved smile made its way across the boy’s face as he sat up, but he frowned a little as he took in his surroundings. He remembered clearly picturing his human as he had entered the way through, and Eren had expected to come out in Levi’s bathroom. Or at least somewhere inside the apartment complex.

Instead he was in the back alleys of Sina Square? Weird.

Eren shrugged off the incident, chalking it up to an error caused by his increase in power. Perhaps it had thrown him off? No matter, for this was the perfect chance to do some hunting.

The brunette was absolutely famished; he hadn’t felt this hungry in years. It was a little troublesome as Eren realised that he would need to feed more regularly in order to maintain his disguise and control here…but also oddly freeing.

The back alleys ran red with blood that afternoon. Eren consumed no less than four unlucky people who happened upon him in the shady streets, hardly thinking to muffle their choked cries.

Spending time in Hell could make the brat twitchy enough, but engaging in war left Eren on high alert to every little sight and sound. His senses were screaming and that made it a little difficult to prioritise cleanliness over simple primal enjoyment.

The brunette hadn’t even tried to be tidy with his kills, only regretting not doing so after the rush of hunting left him and he noticed his bloodstained self. He couldn’t roam the street looking like this.

In the end, Eren broke into the first quiet house he could find to clean up. He ‘borrowed’ the shower, scrubbing until every last trace of gore was gone. After all, Eren couldn’t return to Levi if he was filthy.

A wave of nostalgia hit Eren at the thought of his human, whom he missed, and the brunette felt his chest tighten with an unfamiliar feeling.

Clothes were burned, new clothes were acquired, and soon Eren walk strolling along the streets once more.

As he walked, Eren found himself in the very same busy market area that he had visited with Levi during one of their days out of the flat. A little ways down was Sina Square and he smiled, able to identify his way home. Well, not his home. He couldn’t call it that yet. But the way back to Levi was all too clear and Eren would have headed straight back to the apartment if his eyes hadn’t passed over a dark head of hair a little ways off.

Eren glanced back, giving a little frown as he focused harder on the person he could see sitting in the shade outside some trendy looking food place. The brunette’s confusion as to why he had been spat out into this area of the living world suddenly evaporated as he realised that Levi was right there.

No wonder he hadn’t come through in the apartment.

A fond smile worked its way onto Eren’s face and he was about to head over when his eyes flickered across the table and he noticed that Levi was not sitting alone. There was another man sitting across from him, tall from the looks of him…and oddly familiar-

Eren blinked, stumbling back a step as several images flashed rapidly behind his eyes. The brunette blinked them away, teal eyes narrowing in recognition as he stared daggers at the blonde-haired man sitting across from his Levi.

It was the ex.

Eren couldn’t quite find the man’s name in his thoughts, but ‘blonde bastard’ would do for now.

The brunette barely resisted the urge to snarl; he had to remind himself that he was in the open and people would probably start to ask questions if he didn’t get the undoubtedly murderous look off his face.

“Are you alright, dear?”

Too late.

Eren jumped as an elderly woman spoke to him, having stopped by to his left. She had a round face and greying hair. A set of round wire-framed glasses were perched on the ridge of her nose and she looked at Eren with worry, but more out of concern for his wellbeing than at the thought of him plotting murder.

“Ah, oh, I’m sorry ma’am.” The brunette offered a small smile, rubbing at the back of his head. “But no, I…I don’t think I am.”

The woman seemed to be buying into his innocent act, her face softened the moment she heard the young man confess his feelings.

“What’s the matter, love?”

Humans could be so gullible. Eren knew well enough how to play with his prey, even when he wasn’t in the middle of a hunt.

He ducked his head a little, swallowing. “It’s fine, I can handle it. Just…my partner over there took me a little off guard.”

The woman looked to where he gestured, a look of understanding crossing her withered features. “Are you two in the middle of a date?”

Eren wished that they were in the middle of a date.

Letting a little of the truth slip into his façade, Eren shook his head. “No, I don’t think so,” he replied with a sad smile, “not with his ex at the table.”

“What?” The elderly woman looked incredulous as she turned around to stare over towards the dining couple once more. She shook her head, turning back to Eren and placed a gentle hand on his arm. “You’d better get over there, young man. Show that other chump who’s in charge.”

Eren laughed gently. “Yes, yes I think I will. Thank you, ma’am.”

“Go get ‘em!” The woman cheered him on with a shake of her fist, smiling as she went on her way.

It was encounters like those that almost made Eren feel guilty about being a man-eating monster. Almost, but not quite. Besides…being such a creature came in awful handy for hunting down bastards like that blonde freak chatting up his human.

It wasn’t enough to keep the fire from his eyes as he marched over towards the pair at the table, schooling his expression into a friendly smile.

The sound of laughter from the blonde nearly made the brunette gag as he neared the table. And then the bastard looked up, blue eyes noticing Eren as the boy slowed his stride and stopped right beside Levi’s chair.

“Can I help you?” Blondie asked, eyes curious but so far not suspicious.

Levi made a confused sound, turning to the right, and Eren smiled down at the raven. The smaller man went rigid at the sight of the brunette, lips parting in surprise.

“E-Eren?” The raven uttered, eyes widening a little in shock as the boy took a seat on his lap.

“Hello, _sweetheart_.” Eren said, his tone oozing sweetness as he leaned in shamelessly to claim to other man’s mouth.

Levi was too shocked to react apart from blinking, but Eren wouldn’t grant him the courtesy of personal space until he had explained himself.

The brunette pulled back only far enough to breathe, lips brushing against the raven’s as he spoke.

“This is not the surprise that I had in mind.” He said, teal eyes flickering.

Levi registered the boy’s disapproval of the situation. “I didn’t know that you were back in town.”

“I finished my business early.” Eren murmured by means of an explanation. “Thought I’d drop by to see you…wasn’t expecting company.”

Erwin cleared his throat across the table and the brunette sat back a little, slipping his arms about Levi’s neck as he smiled.

“Hello over there…who might this handsome devil be?”

Eren knew that Levi was aware that he was upset, not at Levi directly but at the manner of their reunion. The raven knew well enough to tread cautiously until he could better gauge Eren’s mood.

“Eren, this is Erwin Smith. He’s…an old friend.” Levi said carefully, eyes never leaving the brunette.

Eren leaned forward a little, eyes growing vacant as more images of the raven’s past with this man flickered behind his eyes.

The boy’s mouth curved but he wasn’t quite smiling. “Charmed.”

By his side, the brunette heard the raven swallow. He was nervous…and with good reason.

Eren had unrestricted access to every memory Levi had of Erwin…and most of them made the brunette want to tear the blonde’s face off. A particularly nasty memory of Levi walking in on Erwin and some dark haired fucker going at it like rabbits chose to present itself right then and Eren considered that perhaps he hadn’t quite had his fill of human flesh for one day. Maybe he could convince himself that the other four weasels hadn’t quite been enough to sustain him and perhaps he could fit this bastard into his meal plan somewhere…

Levi wouldn’t mind, surely?

The raven-haired man must have sensed Eren’s bad mood for he quickly ploughed on with the rest of the introductions.

“Erwin, this is Eren…he’s…my…” Levi paused, apparently unable to find the right word with which to describe his relationship with Eren.

Erwin frowned a little, piercing eyes moving between the two men across from him. “Your?”

“We live together.” The raven managed, taking a gulp of his wine.

Erwin raised an eyebrow, looking between the two. “Is that all? Because it looks like a bit more than that.”

“I’m sorry; who did you say you were again?”

“Erwin.”

“That’s an…interesting name. I’ve heard absolutely nothing about you but that’s probably because Levi doesn’t talk much.”

The brunette glanced down at Levi, touching the other male’s cheek gently. “What’s the matter? Are you being shy?”

“If I am, it’s because you ooze enough confidence for the both of us, brat.”

Levi was increasingly jumpy, Eren noticed. Probably because Eren knew who Erwin was, what he had done to Levi, and yet the boy still smiled.

Grey eyes swivelled to look at Eren, and the brunette smiled down at him. ‘What are you planning, Eren?’, those eyes seemed to say.

The blonde looked to the raven. “Levi…you never mentioned that you were seeing someone.”

Eren’s attention snapped right back over to Erwin and he feigned shock.

“He hasn’t mentioned me? At all?” The brunette tsked, tapping Levi gently on the bridge of his nose. “Rude. I talk about you all the time to my friends.”

“What friends?”

“Ouch. I’ll have to punish you for that later.” Eren’s voice dropped for a moment, teasing, until he looked at the table. “Oh, dessert? You’ve barely even touched yours.”

In front of the raven sat a mostly uneaten slice of apple pie.

Levi rolled his eyes, shifting Eren in his lap. “That’s because you decided to come waltzing in.”

“Well you mustn’t let it go to waste.” The boy murmured, his tone suddenly taking on a playful quality despite the ever darkening expression on Levi’s face. Eren’s own face brightened. “Shall I feed it to you?”

“Eren.” The raven’s voice took on a tone of warning.

The brunette simply laughed him off. “Oh don’t be such a sourpuss.”

Levi glared at Eren as he picked up the abandoned spoon and scooped out a portion of the pie. He brought the spoon up, holding it near the raven’s mouth as he traced a finger across Levi’s lips.

“Open up.”

The smaller male let out a longsuffering sigh, leaning forward to take the spoon in his mouth.

Eren smiled, clearly pleased as he slid two fingers under the raven’s chin fondly.

“Good boy.”

“If I might interrupt…” Erwin cut in suddenly.

Eren’s smile never faded as he turned to look at the blonde. “Oh, I’m sorry. I completely forgot you were here. How rude of me.”

“Levi and I were actually in the middle of a discussion.”

Eren hummed lazily, leaning back against Levi a little. “May I just say that your eyes are exquisite.”

Erwin blinked, frowning as the boy’s blatant dismissal of his original topic. “I…I beg your pardon?”

The brunette’s smile grew a fraction. “They really are quite a lovely shade. You must get a lot of compliments.”

Erwin frowned over at the brunette, looking as though he had no idea what to make of the boy.

“I’d appreciate it if you’d keep comments like that to yourself.”

“Why?” Eren leaned forward, smile turning sly. “Do I make you uncomfortable?”

“I think you know the answer to that.” The raven uttered, putting an arm around the brunette’s waist to better support him, ignoring the pleased sound it earned. “Sorry, Erwin. Eren is…very forward about his thoughts.”

“Guilty as charged.” The boy conceded with a casual shrug.

Eren’s eyes narrowed slowly, taking in all he could.

There was something decidedly off about this Erwin character. He didn’t smell right, he was too calm, too sure of himself.

But maybe Eren could stir him up a little…

“This is a wonderful venue you chose…” Eren wondered aloud, glancing about the place. “It reminds me of our first date in that charming little café. Don’t you think so, Levi?”

The raven-haired man rolled his eyes, poking Eren’s hip in reprimand.

It didn’t stop him though.

“Say, you’re not trying to take my Levi from me?” Eren inquired, his pleasant smile shifting to something a little more menacing. It was a barely noticeable shift; his eyes darkened a fraction, smiling with just enough teeth for the expression to border something unfriendly. “I’m afraid that would be something that I could not forgive.”

“And that’s where I draw the line.” The raven muttered, giving a shove to the boy’s hip to move him. “Eren, get your ass up. We’re going home.”

Eren’s smile turned cheery again as he hopped off the raven’s lap, prancing around the back of Levi’s chair.

Levi looked briefly to Erwin as he got up from his chair to join Eren. “It was…nice to see you again, Erwin.”

“A pleasure.” The blonde agreed, standing as well and glancing at Eren. He extended a hand. “Good to have made your acquaintance, Eren.”

The brunette looked down at the offered hand, staring for a moment before reaching out to shake it. Almost immediately he felt the blonde’s grip tighten, as if the man was attempting to crush Eren’s hand with his own. The boy smiled at the effort, reaching out to clasp his other hand atop their joined grip and squeezed back.

If you’re going to intimidate someone, make sure you know who you’re dealing with.

Erwin went rigid as Eren gripped his hand tighter, not letting go until an actual crunching sound was heard. Eren leaned in, eyes glinting as he smiled almost playfully.

“The pleasure was all mine.”

The brunette turned on his heel, smiling at a shocked looking Levi and looking ever the picture of innocence. The raven allowed himself to be led away, back along the street and towards his home.

“Did you just break my ex’s hand?”

“I might have done.” Eren shrugged. “But if you want to be certain, we could always go back and make sure?”

“You’re impossible.”

The boy cast a sidelong glance at the raven as they walked, noting the look on Levi’s face. The man seemed almost…pleased.

“You don’t sound mad.” Eren ventured.

Levi smirked, keeping his eyes ahead. “Good observation, brat.”

The brunette started to smile, slipping his hands into his pockets and ducking his head a little. “So I’m not in trouble?”

The raven scoffed, reaching over to give a playful shove to the kid’s shoulder. “In trouble? Are you kidding me? I could kiss you for doing that.”

“Please do.”

Levi chuckled as Eren practically bounced beside him. “Later, kid. I don’t do PDA’s.”

“Of course you don’t.” The brunette laughed, tilting his head back to look at the slowly darkening sky. “I hope you know that I’m going to pounce on you the second we get inside your apartment.”

The raven smirked. “Is that so?”

“Just thought I should warn you.” Eren murmured, giving a nonchalant shrug.

Levi cast a sidelong glance at the brat. “What if I pounce on you first?”

The boy grinned. “That’s more like it.”

“If I do and you drop me, you’re sleeping out on the balcony.” The raven deadpanned, looking to the front once more.

“You can’t be that heavy.”

“Shut up.”

Eren felt like he could burst from the heady mix of excitement and anticipation he felt rushing about inside of him. The brat was damned near skipping alongside the raven-haired man. One thing was for sure; Eren couldn’t wait to get back to Levi’s apartment.

He decided that they weren’t moving fast enough, and a cheeky smile crossed his face. Bending for a moment, Eren hoisted Levi up off of his own two feet, ignoring the smaller male’s protests, and swung him into his arms.

“Eren, what in the actual fuck are you doing?” The raven frowned, looking concerned as he glanced around. People were starting to stare and the raven hated attention. “Put me down, we look ridiculous.”

Eren simply shook his head. “Hold on tight, I promise I won’t drop you.”

Levi barely had time to process the words before the brat started running, carrying the raven bridal style through the streets and laughing.

He was fast; the brunette’s feet flew against the pavement, the slap of each footstep echoing behind them. Some people turned their heads as the pair passed by in a rush of laughter, curses and light footsteps, some shook their heads, and others smiled.

“ _Christ on a bike, Eren! I’ll fall! Put me down!_ ”

“Never!” The brunette shouted back, eyes bright in the last dying rays of the sun, and he found himself smiling ecstatically as the wind rushed through his hair. “You’re mine, Levi, and I’m never letting you go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to end on a happy note and hopefully this will tide you guys over for a day or two :) The boys will get their reunion session next chapter. It’s mostly written but I won’t have time to post until later tomorrow at best.


	17. I Could Eat You Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEW CHAPTER!! YAY!  
> Okay lovelies, this took waaay longer than I’d hoped but here it is at last, the reunion evening for the boys! No heavy stuff goes down, although there’s plenty of fluff and what not. Eren learns how to French kiss and…some other things.  
> This chapter is a bit longer than the last two, so hopefully you can forgive the wait.  
> Enjoy!

“I stretched my hands up to the sky. We danced with monsters through the night.” – American Authors, Best Day Of My Life.

***

 

Quick steps slapped against the cobbled sidewalk, the sound echoing in the slowly emptying streets of their neighbourhood. Running over the bridge through the park, the burn of oxygen in Eren’s lungs had never felt sweeter.

The sun was setting by the time the two made it back to the apartment building, casting a beautiful orange glow over everything. Eren set Levi down, running for the stairs immediately as the raven-haired man chased after him with threats of murder should he ever pull such a ridiculous stunt in public again. The two men scrambled up the stairs; Eren leapt up them two, three, sometimes four steps at a time and Levi was never far behind.

The raven was fumbling for his keys even before they reached the door, the jangling sound of metal against metal almost lost to the scampering of their feet. The brunette skidded to a stop by the door, bouncing eagerly from one foot to the other as Levi shoved the key into the lock and twisted.

Eren kept true to his word, turning to throw himself at Levi the second the apartment door was shut. But Levi moved faster, literally pouncing at the brat and throwing his arms about the kid’s neck for support as his legs wrapped about Eren’s waist.

The brunette took a staggering step back, taken by surprise, but he kissed the raven fervently, one hand slipping around to the small of Levi’s back to tug him closer, and the other moving under the raven’s thighs to hold him up. Levi’s eyes slipped shut and he moved one hand up the brunette’s neck to fist in the boy’s hair as Eren took careful steps backwards into the apartment.

Levi’s kisses were uncharacteristically feverish, like he thought Eren might disappear if he opened his eyes. It wasn’t at all like him, but the actions pleased the boy when he realised that Levi was truly giving himself over to their relationship. No holding back, no dwelling on the past, only the future and the new. But the brunette coaxed Levi into a slower rhythm; backing up further into the apartment until he felt the back of his knees hit the sofa.

The pair broke apart as Eren let himself fall back, and the brunette laughed at the look of shock on Levi’s face after the fall. He ignored the smaller man’s inaudible mutterings in favour of drawing him closer, arranging the raven into a comfortable position in his lap.

“Missed you.” Eren murmured between pecks, humming his content.

Levi exhaled at the words, feeling his racing heart start to calm after the fall. “Glad to hear it.”

The brunette gave a little chuckle, tracing his fingertips along Levi’s shoulder where the skin could be seen. “You missed me too, don’t deny it.”

The brat leaned back against the arm of the sofa, bringing Levi with him. He had this adoring look plastered all over his face as he looked up at the raven.

Levi almost smiled as Eren’s warm fingers brushed over his lips. “I did.” He murmured against the boy’s hand, leaning into his palm.

Eren’s face lit up at the admission and he sat up, pushing Levi onto his back and claiming his mouth again, trailing eager butterfly kisses from the raven’s jaw to the corner of his shoulder and back again.

“I knew it.” The brunette said, his voice barely more than a whisper against Levi’s lips.

Eren looked happy, unbelievably so, as he straddled the raven’s lap. Levi barely had time to breath between the kisses he was showered with, although he couldn’t say that he minded. As long as it was Eren, he would never mind.

Levi’s tongue crept out to trace a soft line over the brunette’s bottom lip and Eren hesitated, as if he wasn’t quite sure what to do. The raven chuckled at the brat’s uncertain face when he pulled back a little, looking down at Levi and biting his lip.

“Come here, kid.” Levi said with a smirk, watching as the brat moved closer until their faces were barely a centimetre apart. The raven nodded his approval, still smirking away. “Open your mouth.”

“Why?” Eren breathed, his voice barely anything more than a whisper.

“So that I can teach you something.”

“Will it hurt?”

“No.” Levi found himself chuckling at the brat’s confused expression and he brought up his hands to cradle Eren’s head. “In fact, I’m sure you’ll like it.”

Levi coaxed Eren to bring his head down further, leaning up a little himself to meet the boy halfway. He kissed the brunette’s parted lips, biting gently before his tongue darted out to soothe over the bite. Eren made a sound somewhere between a moan and a whine as the raven’s tongue flicked against his lips before he slotted their mouths together.

Moving slowly so as not to alarm the brunette, Levi mapped out Eren’s mouth with his tongue. The brat was frozen, apparently too shocked to even move, and he remained motionless as the raven explored his mouth. Eventually Levi grazed Eren’s tongue with his own, tracing and coaxing the boy to join him in play.

It took a moment, but soon the boy snapped out of his shock and started to respond. Their tongues moved in a slow, sensual dance, tracing, flicking, and learning what the other liked. But it became a little too much for the brat when Levi drew the boy’s tongue out and into his own mouth and began to suck at the wet muscle.

Something seemed to shift within Eren then; the brunette leaned forward until their bodies were flush together and a soft sound caught in the boy’s throat.

Levi leaned back, pressing a finger to Eren’s lips when he tried to follow. “I know what you’re thinking, and we can’t.”

The brunette frowned a little. “Why not?” He murmured against the raven’s finger.

Shaking his head, Levi chuckled gently as the brat started nipping at his finger. “Well for a start, I haven’t bought condoms for like…two years. Meaning I don’t have any. Meaning no follow through for you.”

Eren’s brow furrowed slightly in concentration as he riffled through the memories in his head, making a face when he discovered what the ‘condoms’ Levi spoke of were and why they were needed.

He pouted, moving up to sit atop the raven’s stomach. “Couldn’t we just try without-”

“Absolutely fucking not.” Levi cut him off, gunmetal eyes narrowing as the raven propped himself up on his elbows. “I don’t know where the fuck you’ve been, so unless you want to get tested, it’s not happening.”

Eren stuck his tongue out at the smaller man, running his hands over his chest as spoke. “If I do get ‘tested’ as you say, then will you stop blue-balling me?”

Levi snorted at the boy’s choice of words, shaking his head. “How do you even know what that means?”

“I’m not a total idiot.”

The raven’s lips curved into a cheeky half-smirk. “Aren’t you?”

“Hey! Don’t be mean.” Eren pouted, but he leant into Levi’s palm when the raven reached up to touch his cheek. “I’m not some stupid kid.”

“Maybe not.” The raven allowed, carding his hand up through Eren’s hair fondly. “But that’s something I’ve been meaning to ask. How old are you, anyway?”

The question seemed to take Eren by surprise and he blinked down at the raven for a moment.

“Does it matter?” The brunette asked, nuzzling the hand against his face.

“Yes.” Levi answered, not bothering to expand on any further reason than that.

Eren didn’t reply for a while, looking down at Levi out of the corner of his eye while he kissed along the knuckles of the raven’s hand until grey eyes began to narrow at him.

“Eren.” The smaller man muttered with warning in his tone.

The brunette made a sound of complaint before exhaling in a rush. “Ugh. Fine. It’s…” Eren scrunched up his eyebrows in thought, sitting back a little and letting his human touch his face gently. “It’s kind of difficult to explain. Time moves differently here.”

“Wait,” Levi frowned a little, his thumb pausing where it had been rubbing little circles behind Eren’s ear, “what do you mean?”

“Most of the time it’s faster on the other side.” The brunette let himself flop forward onto the raven, stretching out with a little sigh. “How long has it been since I left?”

The raven shrugged. “Like, a day.” He answered, stretching up a little for a kiss which Eren gladly leaned down to give him. “Or a day and a bit at most, if you want to be pedantic about it.”

“Really?” The brunette murmured between little nips along the raven’s jawline. “It’s been eight days for me.”

Levi sat up abruptly, bumping his forehead against Eren’s by accident. “Eight?” The raven said in shock, his eyes widening a fraction. “You mean to tell me that you’ve been gone for more than a week?”

Eren smiled down at him, tilting his head a little to peck Levi on the bridge of the nose.

“Only on the other side.” The boy explained, not wanting to confuse his human with specifics that even he himself was not completely sure of. “The time-scope must be on one of its faster rotations, it should slow back down to real-time soon.”

The raven paused, staring at Eren for a long moment, and then he made a face.

“That’s just fucking confusing.”

Eren laughed at him; it was an incredibly fond sound.

“It is.” The boy agreed, still smiling down at Levi. “But it’s also why I can’t really tell you exactly how old I am…because I’ve got no idea how many of your years I’ve been alive.” Eren gave a casual shrug. “I’ve been around a while, though.”

“Long enough to know about sex, obviously.” Levi muttered, flicking the brunette between the eyes and chuckling at the scandalized look on Eren’s face. “Have you ever..?” The raven let the question trail off, tracing a finger along the boy’s shoulder.

Eren seemed to understand his meaning well enough, if the knowing flicker within teals eyes was any indication whatsoever.

The boy shrugged, glancing off to one side. “I’ve seen my fair share.”

Levi made a sound that was almost a scoff but more akin to laughter and he watched Eren frown a little.

“What is it?” The brunette enquired with a suspicious little frown.

“Seen?” The raven smirked, giving the boy a playful push as he sat up further. “What about actual experience, brat?”

“That’s…different.” Eren moved back, settling himself in Levi’s lap as the smaller male got into a proper sitting position.

Levi rolled his eyes at the boy. “Pfft!”

The brunette made a face at him, grimacing slightly when the raven started to laugh.

“It’s not like it hasn’t been on my ‘to do’ list, alright,” Eren tried to defend his case, fruitlessly; “I’ve just been a little more concerned with devouring.”

“Wait,” Levi chuckled, “wait, wait…so you’re telling me that you’re as old as buggery and yet you’ve never even had sex?” He gave a snort. “Bullshit.”

“It’s the truth!” Eren exclaimed, puffing up his cheeks in an indignant display when the raven continued to chuckle at him. “Don’t look at me like that, Levi, it’s not like I’ve spent my entire existence in your world. I’ve spent more time on the other side. Heck, this is the first time I’ve even bothered taking proper form to blend in.”

“Oh?” The raven said, getting his chuckling under better control. “What about the other times?”

Eren rolled his eyes and flung himself back against the other end of the sofa, draping an arm over his face dramatically. “The rest of the time I just stopped by to pick off a victim or three before heading back.”

“Like a snack break?” Levi smirked a little at the kid’s antics, prodding him with his foot.

Teal eyes peeped out from under Eren’s arm as he considered the similarities. “Yeah…I guess.” He nodded, giving a little shrug. “But I’d never bothered trying to blend in or get to know anyone beforehand. I’d just pop by for the occasional feast.” The brunette shrugged again, heaving a sigh and sitting up again to crawl back over, stretching out by the raven’s crossed legs. “It’s not easy staying here, not until you have enough strength anyway, and for a long time I was just a guppy compared to some of the others.”

A hand came to rest in Eren’s hair, ruffling it gently. The boy leaned into the touch, sighing in contentment.

Levi looked down at him, grey eyes calm. “What about now?” He asked in a quiet voice, stroking the soft brown locks. “Are you still a guppy, or are you one of the bigger fish?”

Eren chuckled, the sound was dark and it sent a chill twisting its way up Levi’s spine as the boy pushed up onto his hands and knees to crawl closer. The raven shivered as Eren guided him back, blue-green eyes locked with apprehensive grey.

“Now…” The brunette paused to lean up and kiss Levi’s forehead, “let’s just say I’m King of the hill.”

Levi stared at him as Eren backed up enough to look at him, steel orbs a little suspicious.

“You’re not Satan, are you?” The raven asked, regarding Eren for a moment. “I’m not going to start bleeding from my eyes or some shit?”

The boy let out a bark of laughter, his shoulders shaking as he shook his head. “No, God no. That’s really not my style. Besides, I’m way cooler than that lazy excuse of a demon. You don’t have to worry about any of that stuff.” Eren crooned, leaning to nuzzle the raven’s neck. “It doesn’t really work like that anyway.”

It was odd how being physically close rendered the boy more open, more honest about himself. Not that Eren wasn’t honest to begin with, but he seemed completely at ease talking to the raven at times such as this. Levi wondered how far he could pry.

“What do you mean?” He asked, waiting.

“Hmm?” Eren hummed, smiling down at the raven as his hands came up to rest either side of Levi’s face.

“About Satan?” The raven clarified.

A flickering amusement settled itself in Eren’s eyes and his smile turned lazy.

“You humans have really hyped him up,” Eren stated, shaking his head as he chuckled, “you make him out to be this badass head honcho. Really he’s more of a gate guardian. Keeper of the way through.”

Levi considered that for a moment. He supposed that it was very likely that the human race had placed such a hype around Satan, as he was mentioned in sacred texts and such. But there were so many demons out there, according to Eren, so really it wasn’t such a surprise to discover that the creatures he knew of were only little fish in a big pond.

“I see.” The raven stated, glancing off towards the coffee table in thought.

“He’s a cool guy, though.” Eren went on, giving a shrug. “I’ve never had any trouble with him and he doesn’t stop me going about my business.” The brunette paused for a moment, chuckling as he ducked his head. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this.”

“That makes two of us.” Levi murmured in reply, looking back at the brat.

The boy gave an amused hum, tugging the other man’s arms around him. Levi allowed him to do so, feeling an odd warmth spread in his chest as he held the kid. It was nice, but he felt a little distracted by the multitude of thoughts rushing around in his head like a tornado.

The whirlwind of queries served only to disorient the raven and at last, after a long moment where Eren simply trailed gentle kisses across the skin that he could reach, Levi spoke up.

“Hey, Eren?”

“Mm?”

The raven paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “How…do you do it?”

“Do what?” The brunette asked, pressing yet another kiss to the raven’s throat.

Levi inhaled sharply at the sudden wet drag of the boy’s tongue against his neck, the hot muscle darting out to taste, gently caressing the soft skin.

“How do you eat your victims?” Levi managed to ask at last.

As awful as the habit was, Levi wanted to know. Eren was a part of his life now and he liked to know each and every detail inside and out. This was no different.

The demon paused in its kissing, lips curving where they were still pressed against Levi’s skin just above his pulse point.

“You really want to know?” Eren murmured, lips moving against warm skin, hot breath fanning out over the wet trail left by the boy’s tracing tongue and causing Levi to shiver as Eren sat back on his haunches.

There was a delighted glint in his eyes, an almost manic flare like fire in those teal depths. Levi nodded once, reaching out with a hand to brush the hair out of Eren’s eyes. As those long, cool digits brushed against the boy’s cheek, Eren whipped his head to the side and caught two of the man’s fingers in his mouth, lips open and teeth clamping down to trap them. The motion happened so quickly that it left the raven reeling from the shock, his eyes a fraction wider than normal, but the pressure on his fingers was still so light. It shouldn’t have been possible for such a fast action, it should have hurt. There was no way Eren could have moved so quickly with such precision. Amused blue-green eyes never broke their gaze as the brunette held the pair of fingers prisoner between his teeth, biting down slowly with just enough pressure to sting without breaking the skin.

Levi panicked for a brief moment, thinking that Eren would indeed eat him. But instead of biting off his hand, the smirking boy sucked at the long digits in his mouth before letting them slip free.

The brunette crawled closer, smiling. “I’m surprised you’d even ask about something like this…but if you really do want to hear it, I’ll tell you…I like to start with the hands.” Eren murmured, his voice so low it was barely more than a whisper. “Can you guess why?”

The brunette’s eyes were bright and Levi could see pinpoints of light within them, excitement and eagerness radiating off the boy.

At Levi’s head shake, Eren smirked. “It’s probably for the best that you didn’t know. I’d be a little suspicious if you had answered. I’ll tell you why…” He promised, sitting forward, stroking Levi’s own hand in both his own. “I like the crunch they make.”

Levi swallowed.

He could imagine the snap of bone and the crunch and grind of cartilage under the demon’s sharp canines. He stiffened as the boy leaned forward again, ducking down to press another kiss to the ridge of his collar bone.

“Sometimes, though, I start here…”

Levi forced himself to breathe, in and out, slowly and calmly as Eren’s lips pressed against his pulse point. He inhaled sharply at the warm, wet drag of the brunette’s tongue as he lapped at the throbbing spot, chuckling at the speed at which the raven’s heart was racing.

Another kiss, a graze of teeth that Levi didn’t know whether to moan at or fear and another dark roll of laughter as hands came up to cradle his head. Eren drew back to gaze down into steel grey orbs, reading the fear, the flickering of uncertain lust, the curiosity that floated inside those pools.

“I’ve never been a fan of limbs.” The demon made a face and for a moment Levi thought he was going to change the subject. “Takes too long to ingest. Too much risk of being caught. Although, sometimes I spoil myself and take the time.”

Of course it had been wishful thinking. Levi had asked, he had given his consent for Eren to explain and now he had to grin and bear it. It was odd how the brunette seemed so pleased to be expressing such things to another creature. His eyes shone, wide and bright, as he leaned in to rest their foreheads together.

“But the best part, Levi,” He purred the name, eyes half-lidded for a moment, “is the heart.”

The raven felt a warm palm drop from his face to rest against his chest, directly over his heart.

“My, my, yours is racing.” The boy cooed, pressing a fleeting kiss to the other man’s forehead. “It’s a shame that it cools so quickly after death; I have to eat it sooner rather than later, especially if the victim dies. And getting through the ribcage can be a pain in the ass. Still worth it, though. They break with such beautiful sounds. Like music.”

With a sharp intake of breath, Levi came to understand that Eren ate people while they were still alive. In fact, he preferred it that way. Levi resisted a strong urge to gag, gripping the sofa until his knuckles were a ghostly white.

Forcing himself to breathe, the raven met Eren’s eyes again. “And is that what you plan to do with me?”

“Eventually.” The brunette answered, looking displeased as he glanced off to one side. “It’s not that I want to…but at the same time it’s all I can think about. You have no idea what being this close does to me, Levi.” Eren confessed, the last few words leaving him in a frustrated sound that was almost a growl. He hushed himself, resting his forehead against the raven’s. “But I’m learning to be stronger…to control my cravings. It isn’t easy, but I can manage for a while yet. I want to keep you for as long as possible.”

As his slight fear ebbed, Levi found himself staring at the brunette with a brow raised. “Gee, what a fucking relief.” He muttered, his tone oozing sarcasm. “You won’t eat me today but who knows about tomorrow?”

The raven shook his head, cursing under his breath as Eren glanced up at him and started to laugh. It was a soothing sound, far lighter than his darker chuckles that set Levi on edge.

“You’re ridiculous.” Eren stated, still snickering to himself as he nuzzled the smaller male’s shoulder. “I’ll keep you quite safe.”

“Oh?” Levi raised a brow in challenge.

Eren met his sardonic gaze head on, teal eyes playful but with a determined undertone. “Yes.” The brunette said simply. “No one will have you but me. I promise.”

“Why? What the hell do you need me for?”

“Pfft!” Eren snorted, as if Levi had just told a joke. The boy waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t be stupid, I don’t _need_ you for anything. But I want you…isn’t that enough to keep you happy?”

“I see…” The raven murmured, trying to connect the dots, “you grew fond of a frail little human and now you’re going to stick around until you’re what? Bored?”

A cheeky little chuckle left the brunette’s lips as he leaned back a little, stretching his torso back like a cat. “You are a lot of things, but frail?” Eren’s mischievous eyes roved over the raven and he smirked. “Oh no. I can think of a lot of things this body of yours could withstand…”

Levi shook his head, bringing up a hand to rub at his temple. “You’re some special kind of messed up, you know that?”

Oddly enough, the brunette beamed at the raven’s words. “Thank you. You’re special to me, too.”

“It wasn’t a fucking compliment.” Levi muttered, sighing at the boy’s blatant ignorance of his insults. But then the raven paused, glancing back to Eren. “Wait, why am I special? I thought you said that I wasn’t important.”

“I said that I didn’t need you for anything, not that you weren’t important.”

“What?” The raven frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. “You’re not making any sense now.”

The brunette heaved a sigh, sounding a little frustrated. “Then I will try to explain, so listen carefully.” Eren sat up a little straighter, looking down at Levi seriously. “You are special because you are still alive.”

If he’d felt confused before, Levi was truly lost now. “…what?”

Resting his hands over the raven’s, Eren leaned forward a little as if a closer proximity might help Levi to understand what he was trying to say. “If you had been anyone else, I would have killed you when we first met.” The brunette explained, watching Levi carefully. “But I didn’t…why do you think that is?”

The raven’s frown grew a little weary and he sighed. “You’ve lost me, brat.”

Eren sat back, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger and looking exasperated, like he was dealing with an incompetent child. Levi tried not to bristle too much at that, but his eyes narrowed regardless. Trying to be as patient as inhumanly possible, if the look on Eren’s face was any indication; the demon dropped the hand from its face and caught the raven’s gaze.

Watchful teal orbs seemed darker and brighter all at once, and Levi could have sworn that the little bits of light in the boy’s eyes were clusters of tiny stars trapped in the midst of blue-green depths. The raven couldn’t have looked away even if he had wanted to.

Eren took a quiet breath and spoke. “The most delicious things are to be saved for last,” the boy said carefully, as if it were the most important piece of information in the world, “…and that is why I will not eat you until my last moments.”

Levi’s eyes were wide now, the grey irises oddly soft in the gentle light coming from the kitchen. Eren’s own features softened in response and the brunette brought his hands up to stroke the raven’s face.

It took a moment for Levi to find his voice, but when he did it was as blunt as ever. “Was that supposed to be comforting?”

The boy nodded above him, smiling brightly. Levi grimaced, reaching out and flicking his forehead.

“Fucking brat.”

Eren just laughed, rubbing at the spot where Levi had struck and giving the raven a lopsided smile.

The brunette’s eyes flickered suddenly and Eren leaned forward a little. “Speaking of fucking…”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake, Eren.” Levi rolled his eyes and sat up.

“What?” The brunette held his hands up in defence, as if he was totally innocent. “You had to know that I would ask eventually.”

Levi let out a huff of a laugh at that, more of an amused exhaled than actual laughter as he shook his head at the boy. “I honestly thought you wouldn’t ask.” The raven admitted, smirking. “Given your apparent superiority and shit, I figured you’d just bend me over and have at it no matter what I had to say.”

Eren laughed at that. “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it.” He confessed, ducking when the raven snatched up a cushion.

“I might have known you were just waiting to jump my bones, you pervert.” Levi chuckled, whacking the brat with the cushion in his hands.

The brunette just laughed, breaking into a fit of breathless giggles when the raven pounced on him after throwing the pillow. Eren let out a delighted peal of laughter as Levi’s arms encircled him even as he scrambled to escape. The motion effectively landed the pair of them on the floor, Eren cushioning the fall for Levi, after a graceless tumble off the couch.

The giggles died down, muffled by the raven’s lips as Levi pinned the brunette to the floor and kissed him. Eren hummed his approval, slender arms winding around the raven’s waist to form a loop. When the pair finally parted for air, Eren’s cheeks were dusted with a light pink hue and Levi chuckled down at him. The brunette smiled as the raven kissed a lazy trail along his jaw, letting his eyes slip shut.

Although he could never keep totally silent for long, and a question bubbled its way up and out of his mouth.

“So…can we?”

Levi chuckled near his ear and Eren shivered in delight as the velvet purr of a sound.

“Oh no,” the raven chided, leaning over the brunette with a smirk, “after all that talk about eating people I’m pretty sure I’d like to keep my distance. At least until you calm down.”

Eren pouted, his brow furrowing a little. “Calm down?”

“Yeah…you’ve got that manic look in your eyes.” The raven stated, nodding at the boy. “Wouldn’t want you to freak out and bite my dick off.”

“That seems unlikely, though, doesn’t it?” The boy said with a confused little smile. “I mean, why would my mouth be anywhere near there.”

Levi stared down at Eren for a long moment, trying to convince himself that Eren was joking. Only the punch line never came and the boy continued to look at him with confusion.

Levi gave a brief chuckle. “Oh God, this is too funny.” He shook his head, tugging playfully at the brunette’s earlobe with his thumb and forefinger. “Ever heard of a blowjob, kid?”

The boy raised his eyebrows, shaking his head up at the raven. “…no…why are you laughing?”

The raven-haired man was trying, honestly trying, not to laugh at the brat. His shoulders were shaking with the effort it took to keep the sounds muffled, but even so he couldn’t stop from snickering. Eren’s face twisted with a mixture of confusion and indignation as he tried to decide whether to glare at Levi or smile.

At last the raven sat back on his haunches.

“You’re just too much.” Levi managed to force out through the hand he had used to cover his mouth with in an attempt to cease his laughter. The hand fell away and the raven smirked, shaking his head. “One second you’ve got the creepy vibes up to here and the next you’re all innocent and questioning. What am I going to do with you?”

Eren poked his tongue out at the raven, huffing. “You could start by telling me what this…this ‘blowjob’ thing is?”

Another chuckle broke free of the raven and he cleared his throat. “Heh. Oh no, I don’t think you want to know.”

“I do!” Eren argued, pouting at the smaller man’s smirk.

Levi held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

The brunette gave a nod, sitting up as well. “So? What is it?”

The raven thought of the many ways he could describe what Eren wanted to know. In the end, and after about a whole minute of pause, he decided that the simplest was best.

And so, opening his mouth, he let the blunt words fall from his tongue. “Basically it’s when a guy gets off by having his dick sucked. Get it?”

There was another pause as the boy processed that information, teal eyes widening a little from the plain and honest response.

Eren wrinkled his nose in distaste. “That doesn’t sound very hygienic.”

Levi threw his head back, feeling it bump into the sofa cushions with a dull thud, and laughed, ignoring Eren’s complaints about cleanliness. Normally it was the other way around, and Levi would be the one griping at others for their filthy habits. Oh how the tables had turned.

Eren was still muttering in the background when Levi finally calmed down, wiping at his eyes.

“Honestly, you humans have some fucked up habits. And you think my kind are strange.” The brunette groused, looking over at a still smirking Levi.

The raven chuckled, ducking his head and picking at the carpet. “Say what you want, brat. You’ll understand after it happens to you.”

The boy made a scandalized sound and shook his head. “I think I’ll pass.”

Feeling another fit of laughter readying itself to take hold of him, Levi smiled and looked away. He wasn’t used to so much of this giddy feeling rushing about inside of him. It was disorienting, but in a pleasant way.

“I’ll remind you that you said that when we finally get there.” The raven smirked, shaking his head at the brunette. At last, he let out an amused sigh. “Come on, brat. I’m tired as fuck.”

The raven-haired man stood, holding a hand out to help the brat up. Eren whined in protest, not wanting to have to go to sleep just yet, but he let the raven pull him to his feet. Levi towed the brunette to the bathroom, closing the door on the brat’s complaints with a smirk and he went to eat something quickly before they would retire.

In the end Levi couldn’t be fucked to do much more than munch on a slice of bread while he waited for Eren to finish up in the shower. As soon as he heard the water shut off, the raven got up to brush the remaining crumbs off his hands and into the trash, marching into the bedroom in time for Eren to open the bathroom door.

The brunette opened his mouth to talk but was cut off as Levi walked past him, pushing against his shoulder blades until Eren was outside of the bathroom. Then Levi turned on his heel, closing the bathroom door behind him, and Eren had to smirk a little at the man’s antics. He had an odd way of expressing playfulness, but it was something that the brunette quite liked about the smaller man.

Withdrawn and yet cheeky, warm despite the rough edges. Levi could form the perfect poker face when he needed to, but Eren lived for the little smirks and rare, tiny smiles.

When Levi finally returned from the bathroom, trailing steam and droplets of cooling water, he found Eren sitting cross legged on the bed, rocking back and forth. The brunette brightened immediately upon seeing the raven, rolling forward and onto his stomach. Tanned fingers curled around the raven’s wrist, tugging at the sleeve of his pyjama shirt and pulled Levi onto the bed.

The smaller male came willingly, flopping onto the mattress and rolling onto his back. Eren scooted over to put his arms about the raven’s shoulders, delivering slow, lazy kisses as one of his hands traced meaningless patterns across Levi’s chest and down to his stomach, moving to rest at the man’s hip. Levi could feel the day’s exhaustion starting to take hold as he lay beside the boy, letting the brunette have his fill of affection, but he pushed Eren’s hands away when warm fingertips tried to sneak under his shirt.

“Eren, I already told you, not tonight.”

“But I’m not even tired!” The brunette whined, plopping himself down above the raven’s head so that Levi had to tilt his head back to look at him. “I’ll behave, I promise. I won’t even bite, not once, if you say so. Please, Levi?”

“Maybe tomorrow, brat. I’ve had a hell of a day.”

“You’ve had a hell of a day? I was in Hell today. It’s been days since I last saw you and then when I finally come back you’re fucking mountain of an ex-boyfriend shows up? I think my bad day trumps yours.”

“You’re not the one who had to introduce your ex to your current boyfriend. That was more awkwardness than I ever want to feel again.”

Eren just stared, wide eyed and with his lips parted.

“What?”

“I’m…you said I was your boyfriend.”

“Yeah, I did. Congratulations, your ears work. Now get your ass in bed.”

Eren grumbled but obeyed, scooting up towards the head of the bed and burrowing beneath the sheets. Levi slid in beside him and not a moment after he did Eren’s arms curled around his middle and pulled him close.

For a few minutes the pair lay peacefully, but Eren couldn’t resist leaning in to kiss the smaller man’s neck, nipping gently at the sensitive skin. Levi mumbled a drowsy complaint and the boy murmured an apology.

“M’sorry,” he breathed in a quiet voice, snuggling closer, “I really did miss you.”

“Brat…” the raven grumbled sleepily, rolling over to face the boy and allowing him a quick, chaste peck, ‘I missed you too, but after a day like today I need to sleep.”

Eren nodded in understanding, pulling the raven closer but a moment later his voice sounded again. “Why were you having lunch with your ex anyway?” The boy asked.

The raven sighed, wondering if he would ever get to sleep. “If you must know, he said he wanted closure.”

The brunette sneered at the response, resting his chin atop Levi’s head as he scowled at the ceiling.

“Closure my ass. The prick takes you to a fancy schmancy restaurant, waves his money around and calls it closure? Bull-fucking-shit. He had this big dumb smile plastered all over his big dumb face.” The brunette muttered in irritation. “I ought to hunt the bastard down and punch his ugly lights out.” Eren snarled, his arms holding the raven tighter as the brunette nestled closer to him.

A quiet chuckle sounded from Levi and the raven leaned back a little to look at the boy.

“Ugly, huh?”

A scoff. “Oh alright, fine. Maybe he wasn’t doing so bad in the looks department.” Eren huffed, pouting like a child. “But he’s definitely not my type. No, Sir…not with those eyebrows.”

The raven smirked and shook his head gently, stretching up to press his lips once, twice, to Eren’s neck. He heard the brunette swallow, watched the bob oh his Adam’s apple. A soft sound of contentment came from Eren and the boy closed his eyes at last.

Levi exhaled softly at the feeling of Eren’s fingers moving up to lazily brush against the shorter strands of hair at his nape, rubbing soothing little circles to coax him to sleep. It was beyond comforting to have the brat there once again, warm and protective like a shell keeping a snail safe from the weather.

The absurdity of such a likeness struck and Levi almost snorted at his own comparison, but settled instead for relaxing back into the warmth of Eren’s embrace. For now, even just the gentle lullaby of the brunette’s steady breathing was enough, and the quiet rhythm encouraged the smaller man to sleep.

Eren lay awake in the darkness a while longer, running feather light fingers through the raven’s hair and smiling a tiny smile. It was strange for him to realise that he felt more at home lying next to this human than he had ever felt before in his entire existence.

“You don’t know what you do to me, Levi…” The brunette whispered, but the raven was already asleep.

With one last kiss to the smaller male’s shoulder, Eren closed his eyes and let himself slip further into unconsciousness until at last his mind went blank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh! I’m so glad that’s finally done :)  
> This will be the last chapter that I can upload for a while because I’m helping my dad out at an Elvis festival in Parkes. Yay… But I will keep writing down any ideas that come to me, it just might be a while until I get them typed up :/ I’ll be away for a week but I shall return, hopefully back in full swing with plenty more chapters. I promise I’m not giving up on this fic, I have so many ideas for it! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will try to answer them (if I have internet) but even if I don’t answer right away, I will always reply back :)  
> Thank you all for reading, commenting and leaving kudos! It means so much to me!  
> And I guess I’ll talk to you all again in a week ^_^


	18. Stuck On You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again lovelies! So here we are with a new chapter at last! It’s a bit of a long one and there’s a little something special for my two babies that starts with ‘s’ and ends in ‘mut’. Yes, consider this the official warning. There shall be smut in this chapter and in future, so if you’re not into that kind of thing then you might want to skip over it. If you are into that, though, then lucky you! This is officially the longest chapter I've written for this fic ^_^  
> This is 100% un-beta’d and probably awful but here you go!  
> Enjoy!

“Hold back, we’re falling down, and I’ll show you how it breaks. If I can give it, I’ll take it, all of the way.” – James Arthur, You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You.

***

 

Warmth and sunlight greeted Levi when he opened his eyes. His vision blurred as he tried to blink himself awake, a muffled sound catching in the back of his throat as he stretched. Quiet and peaceful silence swirled in the air along with little shimmering particles of dust that glinted like gold in the light, and the raven thought absently that he would have to clean again. The sun shone in through the window; it was open and the drapes had been pulled back to allow the golden rays into the room. Consequently, some patches of the bed felt warmer than others, but nothing was quite so cosy as the brown-haired boy resting beside the raven-haired man.

Eren was already awake; his teal eyes bright and open but low-lidded and lazy as they regarded the sleepy man. An almost sweet little smile crept onto the brunette’s face as grey eyes blinked blearily up at him.

Levi was a strange kind of adorable when he was waking up; sleepy and always with a confused little frown on his face like he wasn’t quite sure where he was. He looked a bit lost and the sight never failed to make Eren want to pull him close and kiss him until the raven felt safe again. The man would often glance about to take in his surroundings before relaxing with a little stretch and a soft groan that made Eren’s chest feel warm inside.

The brunette treasured moments such as those, where the raven lost all of his sharp edges and looked soft, warm and slightly dishevelled with his messy bed-hair. There was a word for the way Levi looked, and that word was perfect.

Although ‘edible’ would have also been an apt description. However, Eren was fairly certain that Levi wouldn’t feel quite so comfortable with that given the boy’s nature.

The brunette offered a lazy smile, propping his head up on an elbow. “G’mornin.” He murmured, not bothering to articulate so early in the day.

The raven’s eyes focused slowly, blinking as recognition formed in those stormy pools. Propping himself up on an elbow, the smaller man looked to Eren with a drowsy expression that could have been confusion but it smoothed out too soon for the boy to tell.

“Whattimeisit?” Levi slurred his words together, rubbing his eyes and trying to wake up.

Eren rolled over to the other side of the bed, leaning back and looking upside down at the blue numbers glaring out from the alarm clock. The boy’s face twisted in concentration as he attempted to identify the numbers at such an odd angle.

“It’s…eight thirty?” Eren murmured, stretching out his limbs before rolling back and shrugging. “Give or take.”

Levi groaned and rolled over, ignoring the brunette’s laughter and pulling a pillow over his head, complaining about waking up so early. The raven grumbled when Eren flopped on top of him and shook his shoulders to rouse the sleepy man.

“C’mon, Levi,” the brunette coaxed, trying his very best not to whine, “don’t go back to sleep.”

“Fuck off…five more minutes…”

The mumble was identifiable even through the pillow.

With a sigh, the boy stretched out perpendicular to the raven and lay across the man’s back, fiddling with the edge of the top blanket while Levi got his five extra minutes. While Eren had a feeling that the raven hadn’t meant to take exactly five minutes, the brunette couldn’t help but count down the time in his head.

There was no sleeping, not with the brat’s weight across his lower back, and when the raven finally rolled over again he was much more alert.

Levi reached back to shove at Eren’s hip. “Get off me, you lummox.”

The brunette pushed up onto his hands and knees, collapsing back against the mattress next to the raven’s hip a little ways down the bed. Eren watched the smaller male stretch, one leg bent at the knee and the other laid out straight, toes curling and his back arching off the bed a little. The brunette couldn’t help but run his tongue over his bottom lip, biting and worrying the skin there as the raven’s shirt rode up enough for him to see the flex of muscles as they rolled with the movement.

The urge to reach out and touch the other man was strong enough to leave the boy’s fingers twitching against the sheets, but that would ruin the show.

Levi noticed the boy’s staring and he laughed once. “Take a picture, brat.”

Eren only smiled. “I don’t need a picture; I’ve got the genuine article right here.”

“Touché.”

The brunette crawled his way up towards where the raven lay sprawled, plopping down beside him and nuzzling his shoulder.

“I’ve got some news for you…” Eren murmured, pressing his lips to the juncture where Levi’s neck and shoulder met.

Levi made a vaguely curious sound. “What? You’re pregnant?”

“Pfft!” The brunette snorted, lips curving into a smile where they still rested against the other male’s skin.

Without actually seeing it, Eren could hear the smirk in the raven’s voice when he spoke again.

“That’s a no, then?”

Propping himself up on one elbow, Eren shook his head with an amused little grin. “No, I’m not pregnant, you ass.” The brunette laughed, smacking Levi’s arm.

“Then what is it?”

Leaning in to nip lightly at the shell of the raven’s ear, the boy smiled through his words. “You, mister, are officially grounded for the next few days.”

The raven-haired man quirked a brow at the statement, a little smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he propped himself up onto his elbows to observe the brat as he raised his head again.

“Oh am I?” Levi murmured, his brow raised in challenge as he rolled closer to crawl over the brunette’s chest, reaching a hand over to rest behind the boy’s shoulder and effectively trapping him.

“Yes.” The brunette nodded, a delighted little smile forming on his face at the raven’s behaviour.

There was a decidedly dominant feel to the way Levi kissed his way along Eren’s neck, his lips drawing back a little to let teeth graze the sensitive skin.

“I’m not complaining…” the raven said, his voice slightly husky from waking up combined with his attentive sucking at the brunette’s neck, “but why am I grounded..?”

“Maybe I just want to keep you all to myself? Hmm?” Eren hummed appreciatively at a particularly pointed graze of teeth against his collarbone. “Maybe I want to lock you away, keep you for my eyes and mine alone.”

Levi made a soft sound in response, leaning back a little to bite at the brunette’s jaw.

“Maybe you do,” he said with a shrug, watching the boy’s eyes follow the slow roll of his shoulders, “…but that’s not it, is it?”

“No, you’re right. That’s not the reason.”

There was a pause in which the raven glanced up at mischievous teal orbs.

A slender eyebrow arched up the smaller male’s forehead. “Are you going to tell me the truth?”

“I don’t see why not.” The boy murmured with a casual roll of one shoulder.

Eren pushed gently at Levi’s chest and the raven backed up in response, compliantly rolling onto his back so that the boy could meet his gaze. With a mock-serious expression plastered to the brat’s face, Eren opened his mouth to reply.

“Levi…you are grounded because,” the brunette left a gap in his sentence, pausing for emphasis, “it’s the only way I can keep your ex’s paws off of you.”

The raven chuckled, scooting closer to bite at Eren’s shoulder.

“Well then,” Levi murmured against tanned skin, nipping gently, “…I guess I’ve got no choice?”

The boy gave a hum beneath him, looping his arms around the raven’s shoulders.

“None at all.” Eren smiled playfully, mock-pouting for a moment. “Unless you want to see a demon cry?”

Levi laughed at that, stretching up to ruffle the boy’s hair. “Never.” He pressed a light kiss to the brunette’s forehead. “I’m yours until you see fit to free me.”

The boy gave a low chuckle through closed lips, his playful smile turning sly. “Don’t tempt me with such control…I might decide to keep you locked away forever.”

Even though the words had been teasing, there was an undeniable flare of glee in the brunette’s eyes at the thought of having total control over the raven’s activities. Levi noticed it right away, smirking as he handed over the reins to his future for a few days. Making Eren happy had never been a difficult task, but the raven felt that he should at least try to give the boy something that required actual effort, something that would have significance, especially after the incident with Erwin.

And so he agreed to the brunette’s demand that he remain at home and under the boy’s supervision for a few days. He could spend time with Eren and still get his work done on the side. It was a win-win scenario any way he looked at it.

 

The morning was spent lazing on the bed, after both males showered first at the raven’s insistence of course. Levi found himself being pushed back into the middle of the bed while Eren ran his hands over the man’s shoulders, exploring.

The brunette’s fingers were gentle but firm as they roamed over the other man’s clothes, meticulous in their quest of mapping out every last inch of the raven-haired man, every dip, curve, bump and ridge. It was strange and soothing all at once to be treated with such reverence…almost like worship.

It was a reminder, yet another reminder, that Eren was nothing like any of Levi’s previous partners, lover or otherwise. This boy was something new and wonderful and he gave every last bit of his attention to whatever task was at hand whenever the raven was concerned. Taking the time to build upon a relationship was something that Levi could safely say he had never bothered with. Instead he skipped straight to the physical side that came with partnership, finding relief and comfort in the raw and primal drives rather than tiptoeing around conversation. Yet here he was sleeping with this brat, honestly sleeping with none of the following innuendo, and letting the boy get to know him.

The more he thought about it, the scarier it seemed.

So he didn’t think, he simply lay back and lost himself to the feeling of Eren’s hands on him, of the gentle rhythm of the boy’s breathing and the warmth that he brought.

Soon, however, the innocent play was not enough for the brunette and Eren dropped onto his elbows, crawling atop Levi’s stomach.

Tugging the raven’s shirt up a little, Eren ducked his head down to brush his lips over the pale skin. Levi was all solid muscle. He had the build of a fighter; hardened and unforgiving with strong shoulders but lean enough to avoid looking disproportionate. A wall of hurt and confidence. Taking time to actually look at the sight below him, Eren identified Levi’s abdominal muscles and counted them with a tracing finger. Six in total, sculpted like goddamned stone and hard as a rock.

He couldn’t resist the urge to taste him, bending his head down once more. Eren began with a kiss, humming softly at the feeling. The pale skin stretched over hard muscle, solid under the brunette’s lips and Eren mouthed at the warm flesh eagerly. The boy smiled when the raven’s hand dropped down to card through his hair, tugging slightly each time the brunette’s tongue worked a little too eagerly at any particular patch of skin.

Levi grimaced as the brat made a trail of open-mouth kisses up one side of his stomach, pausing just below his ribcage. The damp skin tingled as it cooled and the raven clicked his tongue.

“Tch. Sloppy brat.”

Eren couldn’t care less about the man’s chiding comments, hiking up the raven’s shirt to grant him more access. Teeth scraped ever so lightly over the lowest of Levi’s ribs and the man made a soft sound somewhere between a groan and a whine. Eren would have tried the same thing again but he paused when he noticed a dark discolouration that trailed partway down the raven’s side, marring the otherwise flawless pale skin.

The brunette frowned, his brows pulling together a little as he pulled the material higher.

“What’s this?” He asked, fingers tracing around the marks.

The raven craned his neck to see, a look of understanding passing over his face as he settled back.

“A birthmark.” Levi muttered in a dry tone.

“Really?”

“No, you idiot,” the raven paused to scoff and shake his head, “it’s one of my tattoos. I thought I told you I had some?”

Eren looked up at Levi, face twisting in concentration as he thought back. Recollection lit up the brat’s face and he nodded.

“Oh…yes, I think I recall you mentioning that.” The boy said before sitting up. “May I take a closer look?”

Levi cast the boy a bored look, taking in the way Eren’s hands were fisted in the material of his shirt, twisting the fabric as the boy waited eagerly for the raven’s response. Teal eyes shone all too hopefully as the kid began to rock slightly back and forth.

After putting off answering for a long moment and enjoying making the brat squirm with impatience, Levi made a face. “Ugh…if you really want to, fine.”

Eren beamed down at him, leaning down to reward the raven’s permission with a kiss, nipping gently when Levi followed after his retreating lips. Eager hands dipped under the dark fabric of the raven’s shirt and Levi sat up, lifting his arms above his head to assist the brat as Eren tugged the garment over his head.

The brunette stared, absently tossing the shirt across the bed as his lips parted slightly.

“Some..?”

The brunette eyed the extent of the odd marks that covered most of Levi’s arms from just above the wrist all the way back to his shoulders. Some of the designs spilled down to his sides, with the very lowest reaching to the middle of his ribcage on the left side. The patterns were extensive; a few tribal designs, some dark roses surrounded by interwoven vines decorated in little thorns, a Day of the Dead styled skull, a pair of crossed over swords standing over a gravestone and some intricately drawn daggers were just a few of the images that Eren identified.

Everything was drawn in simple varying tones of black, no colour was present in any of the images but it didn’t detract from the whole. In fact, the differentiating tones seemed almost elegant in their lack of cluttering colour.

On the raven’s left arm, Eren found a four legged beast covered in feathers. It had great claws and a feline’s tale but on its shoulders was the head like that of an eagle. A pair of great wings sprouted from the creature’s back.

Eren’s fingertips trailed over the etching. “What’s that?”

Levi glanced down briefly to discern which of the designs the boy was questioning. “A griffon.” He answered, identifying the image in question. “It’s a mythical creature, probably a made up load of codswallop but I like it.”

“Why?”

The raven remembered exactly why and he didn’t hesitate to answer. “I like what it represents; freedom, ferocity, and a noble heart.”

Eren smiled at that, pleased to be learning more about Levi. His eyes roamed over the patterns, finding also an old looking key tied with some kind of cord woven through the other designs.

Resting a hand on the raven’s forearm, he gestured to the key with a tilt of his head. “What does the key mean?”

“It’s also part of the freedom message you’ll find throughout quite a few of these designs,” Levi explained, his mouth quirking up a little when the brunette lent forward to rest their foreheads together, “but it also symbolises that there are some things, memories and secrets, that should be locked away. Kept hidden and out of sight because no good could ever come of them.”

The look of understanding that Levi found in Eren’s eyes was so strong that he couldn’t look away. As those teal orbs held his gaze, Levi was left to wonder what kinds of secrets that the boy had to keep that had brought such a look to his eyes.

The brunette also found the King from a King of Hearts card amidst the images, as well as what appeared to be a side portrait of a stone sculpture. It had a woman’s face, familiar like one might find on the back of a coin. There was also a humanoid head missing its skin layer, and around the head was a halo effect as if to create an illusion of light rays or perhaps an explosion. There were words too and some roman numerals that stood straight while the letters curved elegantly around the other images in simple fonts, some in banners or ribbons and others standing alone. Names and even paragraphs the likes Eren had never seen before stood alongside pictures and thorny twisting vines.

The brunette frowned slightly, trying to decipher some sort of meaning or message from all the images. Each design seemed to stand on its own, not lending any further connection to the images around it…but Levi was a complicated person and Eren was positive that the raven would not simply pick and choose random pictures to have slapped on his body for no good reason.

“Do all of these mean something to you?” The boy asked after a moment of silence passed between them.

“Yes.”

“Every single one?”

Levi nodded, grey eyes watching the boy appraising him. “Each and every last one.”

And there it was; the confession. Eren was absolutely certain that Levi had a whole story mapped out within the complex array of images…and the boy wanted nothing more than to hear it. In time he would pry further but for now he could settle for simple details.

“What are they, Levi?” The brunette asked, keeping his voice gentle.

He wanted Levi to feel safe, so that he could be comfortable in answering even the simplest of questions. Creating the right atmosphere was key and from the way the smaller man relaxed his shoulders Eren figured that he was doing a good job.

The raven heaved a sigh, sounding tired. Gunmetal eyes were met with shining pools of blue-green and Levi found himself answering.

“My nightmares.”

A knowing look passed behind teal eyes before the orbs dropped lower to regard the tattoos once again.

“They’re beautiful.” Eren murmured almost reverently, fingers tracing gingerly over the smaller male’s arms. Nightmares were something that the brunette could easily understand and respect the significance of. “Is this all of them then?”

“No, I have one more.” The raven stated and he scooted back to turn around.

Etched onto his back were a set of overlapping wings, one solid black and the other a mere outline left blank, facing opposite each other to cross over. It looked like some sort of emblem, or perhaps a coat of arms. Around the wings Eren identified the same curling vines he had seen twining about the raven’s arms. They wove beneath and around the main image. The design reached halfway down Levi’s back and fanned out across his shoulder blades.

Eren glanced up, looking at the back of the raven’s head and his eyes softened. “Are these the things you dream of?”

The raven nodded, shivering a little as Eren traced his fingers along the wing pattern, following the path of the vines, and Levi arched his back into the touch.

This was a moment pure and unmarred by Levi’s past, and the raven wanted to savour it to its fullest. However painful his nightmares could be, the tattoos had all come along after Erwin had left him. There was no personal baggage weighing him down, in fact he felt a sense of purpose carrying around such markings.

Eren was the only one to even touch them.

“Never be afraid of your nightmares, Levi. All they want it to tell you their story.”

“What if I don’t like the story?” Levi challenged. “What if I don’t want to hear it anymore?”

Eren wanted to comfort the man, tell him that there was a simple and easy fix to the cruel images of the night, but he didn’t want to lie.

At last, the boy sighed. “You’ll just have to wait until the story is over. Maybe you’ve missed something, a crucial detail, a memory?”

“Good God, are we playing psychiatrist and patient now?”

The boy smiled gently and chuckled. “Sorry, that was my bad.” He rubbed the raven’s arm reassuringly and turned his attention back to the tattoos. “How did you get them?”

A chuckle sounded as the raven turned back around. “I spent multiple hours sitting in a chair having a needle jabbed into me by an artist.”

Eren gave a soft hiss of disapproval. “You mean to say another human did this to you?”

“Well yeah, it’s not like a horse did the work or anything.” Levi scoffed in reply, shaking his head at the incredulous look on the boy’s face.

“Unacceptable.” Eren said firmly, moving closer to kiss the raven’s forehead. “I ought to teach the fiend a lesson for laying a harmful hand on you.”

“You can’t.”

“Oh? Why not?”

“Because I fucking asked the guy to do the work. Duh.” The raven exhaled in mild amusement, bumping their noses together gently. “If you’re going to be cross at anyone, it may as well be at me.”

There was a short moment of quiet in which the two males sat together, forehead to forehead, breathing in the silence. Levi was the first to speak.

“So…wanna watch a movie, brat?”

“Sure!”

 

The brunette eagerly towed the raven into the living room, letting go of his hand to dive for the remotes on the coffee table. As Levi sat down on the sofa, he took a glance out of the balcony doors. They were intact, which was a good thing, but Levi could help but feel as though there was something off about that. And then it hit him.

“Didn’t you break those?” Levi voiced suddenly, frowning a little.

Eren looked back at him over his shoulder, eyebrows raising. “Hmm?”

“My windows.” The raven clarified, gesturing with a little flick of his wrist. “When you and your fucking dead-eyed shark-faced twin or whatever decided to take a dive from the balcony?”

A look of comprehension crossed the brunette’s face and he nodded once. “Oh, that. I fixed it.”

“You fixed it?” Levi frowned, not recalling seeing any new glass panels being brought in. “How?”

“Particle manipulation.” The boy said by means of explanation.

The brunette grinned as Levi scoffed and tossed his head.

“I don’t even want to know.” The raven muttered dryly with a shake of his head.

Eren laughed and turned back to scour through the movies Levi had stored on the shelves behind the TV. The brunette picked a random movie from the raven’s collection and Levi held back a snicker when he saw the menu flick up onscreen moments later.

It was a horror flick, some cheap and trashy slasher, and Levi had a feeling that Eren would appreciate it.

With a pleased smile, the brunette snatched up the remotes from where they sat by his knees on the floor and scampered across the carpet, clambering up onto the sofa beside the raven. Levi jumped up, reassuring the brat with a light brush of his fingers along the boy’s nape.

“Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

It was a pouting Eren that turned after the raven. “Where are you going?”

“Not far.” Levi promised, stepping past the sofa. “I just had an idea and I think you’ll like it.”

The raven-haired man ducked into his bedroom, tugging open his cupboard and rummaging around. He soon found what he was looking for and when the smaller male returned to the living room a moment later, he held two faded grey beanbags.

“Oi, brat. Catch.”

Eren looked up in time to cop one of the beanbags in the face. Direct hit. Sputtering, he shook it off and stared as the raven laughed dryly.

“Nailed it.” Levi said with a smirk, grey eyes lazy and amused as he sauntered back towards the couch and dropped the other beanbag by Eren’s feet.

The raven explained his idea to the brunette as he shoved the coffee table off to one side, pushing it away towards the balcony where it would rest against the doors. In doing so, Levi successfully created an open space between the sofa and television where the pair could lay down and stretch out. The beanbags were arranged against the front of the couch, situated next to each other so that the two males could lean back against the sofa of simply laze on the floor.

Eren loved the idea, snuggling down into the squishy seat as the raven-haired man scooped up the remote and hit play.

“So what’s this about?” The boy enquired, leaning across until his side was flush with Levi’s.

“Murder, pretty much.” The raven explained, leaning into the warmth. “It’s kind of pointless, but there’s a lot of gore so you’ll like it.”

“Fair enough.”

 

Letting Eren pick the movie turned out to be an even better idea than Levi could have imagined.

The raven learned quite quickly that the brunette was quite easy to scare when his guard was dropped. Maybe he should have felt honoured that the boy would let his defences down around him, but it was a bit difficult to acknowledge when he was trying not to laugh out loud at the brat’s wide-eyed expression.

Levi was sure that there wasn’t a single jump-scare in the whole movie that the brunette didn’t fall for with a start and an ‘eep’ of fear. Even more amusing was the way that Eren complained about the waste of good resources when the victims were left to rot in a hacked up heap.

“Barbaric.” The brunette said with a shake of his head and a click of his tongue. “You find this sort of thing entertaining?”

“I find your reactions entertaining.”

Eren grumbled, pouting, but nestled closer to the raven and fit himself closer against the smaller man’s side. The movie was drawing to a close and outside the sky had lost its bright blue glow as grey clouds rolled over. The air felt cooler and it was no surprise when Eren scooted even closer in course of extra warmth.

“Such a waste.” Eren sighed as yet another helpless lass died screaming and choking on her own blood.

“Shut up.”

Levi blinked slowly, allowing himself a chance to reconsider what his instincts told him to do. The moment was damned near perfect; they were close, practically sharing the same goddamned air with how close Eren had sidled over after that last jump-scare.

Five minutes later as the credits began to roll down the screen, the raven cast one last look down at Eren at the same moment that the brunette glanced up at him; eyes all too innocent and lips slightly parted.

In the end, Levi didn’t reconsider.

The boy opened his mouth to speak but paused as the raven moved, swinging one of his legs over between Eren’s and leaning across to straddle the boy’s lap.

“Um-” Eren started when Levi bent down, setting his hands against the sofa on either side of the boy’s head and leaning close. The raven put his knees between the brunette’s legs when Eren shifted slightly.

“Levi?”

The brunette sucked in a breath as Levi hovered his lips as close to Eren’s mouth as he dared without actually kissing him and waited to see if the boy would take the bait.

When he didn’t move for a moment Levi figured it was no great loss and moved right along. His hand found a fluttering heartbeat when he brought a hand down to touch the boy’s chest, moving his other hand to the floor by Eren’s hip to support the raven’s weight as he leaned forward. The throb of the brunette’s heartbeat only grew stronger when Levi nudged the brat’s chin aside to kiss his neck.

Eren’s skin was hot; Levi could feel the warmth radiating from the kid even before his lips touched him. The brunette might have been one mysterious creature, but in terms of his physical reaction there wasn’t much to reading him.

Tasting people was something that appealed to the raven, had done since his teen years. Levi could tell a lot about a person just by getting their skin under his teeth. Eren’s skin had a gentle taste, no strong flavour to be held on the tongue but enough beyond the normal salty tang that all skin had for the raven to know that this was what Eren tasted like.

Vaguely sweet, almost undetectably so, much like the boy’s scent. Levi could smell it strongest at the place where Eren’s pulse throbbed in his throat, right at his pulse point. Heat radiated from the spot, more so here than anywhere else. It was that same kind of flavour that covered the boy’s skin, subtle and pleasant.

Levi sucked hard on his neck with every intention of leaving a mark, and continued to kiss past the fabric of the boy’s shirt collar.

“Nnn?” Eren made a sound through closed lips, the noise reverberating in his chest.

Any words that the brat may have wanted to say were stunted by a rather obvious excitement surging through the brunette. Eren was breathing hard with a rapid rise and fall of his chest that Levi could feel beneath his kisses. The raven hiked up the brat’s shirt and ran a hand over the brunette’s stomach, feeling the muscles tighten and quiver under the attention as fingers teased over the hot skin in a subtle test. As Levi worked his way down the boy’s body, pausing to push up his shirt further and run his tongue over the heated flesh, Eren let out a needy little pant which quickly turned into a breathy whine when the raven’s tongue dragged over one pert nipple.

Levi made an amused sound in the back of his throat, looking into teal eyes clouded with arousal and bringing up his hands to toy with the boy’s nipples as he spoke.

“Having fun?” The raven asked in a low murmur, smirking when Eren couldn’t quite manage an answer. “No matter, your friend down there is answer enough.”

Eren’s features twisted slightly with a questioning look, following the raven’s gesture down to between his thighs where the boy’s jeans were straining over a bulge.

“Eh? _Eh?_ ” Eren exclaimed, looking shocked. “W-What’s happening? Levi, is this bad? Am I dying?”

Levi let out a shameless snort, snickering behind the back of one of his hands. “What’s the matter? You’ve never had a boner?”

“A what?” Eren’s face twisted in confusion.

“You know, a boner?” The raven attempted to clarify, but he couldn’t keep the smirk off his face. “Hard on? Erection? It’s never happened to you before?”

“No.”

“I thought you said you knew what you were doing?”

“I said I’d seen it happen before, not that I knew how it worked!”

“Oh wow…this is going to be awkward for you.” The raven couldn’t help but laugh at him, hiding his smile behind the back of his hand before finally letting it drop. “No, brat, it’s not bad.” He said in reply, ducking lower down the brunette’s body in an elegant roll as he shrugged. “I don’t think so, at least.”

Levi smirked up at Eren from the break between his shirt and his waistband, stretched out languidly like a feline between legs that had definitely spread further apart since the raven had settled there.

Eren didn’t stop the raven as he mouthed ever closer to the pulsing heat throbbing between the boy’s legs. He squirmed and gulped, and Levi watched him while he slipped a hand between the brunette’s legs. The boy’s hips jerked a little and the raven gave an approving chuckle. Levi could already feel the thick ridge of hardness beneath his hand. The brunette pushed his hips uncertainly into the hand palming him, relaxing and leaning back into the beanbag and fisting his hands in the carpet.

It occurred to Levi that the brat had never even been hard before…meaning he hadn’t ever touched himself, or cum, or anything before today. When he paired that thought with the knowledge Eren had given him about being in sensory overload almost all the time anyway, the raven’s lips twitched upwards.

He would be able to have a lot of fun with this.

The raven couldn’t wipe the smirk off his face; Eren was just too much fun to tease and Levi didn’t want to stop so soon. Leaning in, he locked eyes with the brat and opened his lips wide around the straining bulge while it was still trapped in Eren’s jeans. The brunette’s eyes blew wide and his already uneven breathing began to grow ragged as he watched Levi mouth at the fabric liberally, torturing Eren with his tongue until the brat was writhing.

Levi chuckled against the now damp fabric of Eren’s jeans, delighting in the boy’s desperate little whimpers. Eren seemed to be in a state of mixed emotions, unable to decide if he loved or hated the sweet torture. The brunette alternated between pushing his hips towards the teasing mouth and then as deep into his seat as possible.

After a liberal amount of teasing, Levi interrupted the latest in a series of pleading, whining little moans in favour of stretching up to take the zipper of Eren’s jeans. The brunette’s attention was drawn with the soft ‘vrrrr’ of his fly being tugged down and Eren groaned when he looked down to find Levi pulling the zipper open with his teeth.

Levi’s teasing was slow and deliberate; there was no time limit, nothing to interrupt them.

Slowly, oh so agonizingly slowly, Levi put his fingers through the loops of the boy’s jeans and tugged, coaxing Eren’s pants down only as far as he needed to allow the brunette’s cock to spring free, bobbing once in front of him before settling into a proud curve toward the boy’s belly.

Levi took a moment to appreciate the sight, chuckling when he noticed the dark blush that had spread over Eren’s face.

“You look like a tomato.” Levi smirked, reaching up to pinch the brunette’s cheeks gently.

The boy didn’t even bother to complain about it, squirming instead. “What…what is this feeling?”

“Pretty sure you mean arousal.” Levi murmured, more for his own benefit than Eren’s before moving to explain. “You get turned on, your dick gets hard.” The raven shrugged, not really wanting to have to go into further detail. “It’s a pretty simple process.”

“B-But it-it’s strange. I don’t know if…wait, _wait!_ ” The brunette cried as the raven leaned in closer, pausing at Eren’s insistence a mere few centimetres away from his goal.

The raven arched an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

“W-What are you-?”

Arching a brow, Levi’s lips curved into a rare mischievous smile. “Isn’t it obvious?”

He leaned in again, just a fraction, to tease the brat and it worked like a charm. Eren spluttered in a state of fluster and embarrassment, covering his eyes with his hands only to peer through his fingers.

Eren blanched as the raven drew nearer inch by inch, that cheeky smirk growing with each passing moment.

“D-Don’t put that in your mouth, you moron!” The boy panicked, waving his hands in front of him. “Y-You’re supposed to be a clean freak. It’s not natural-ah- _ah!_ ”

Levi successfully shut him up with a single flat-tongued lick from the base of the brat’s balls to his cockhead, earning a choked whine in response. He took a moment to slide his lips over the tip, taking in only the head and sucking until the brunette started to keen before bobbing his head down the entire length once, twice, thrice, and then off completely.

Lips curving into a wry smirk, Levi leant on an elbow and took a long look at the panting brat.

“Remember when you said blowjobs were a gross human habit and weren’t worth it?” The raven teased, tracing a finger up the underside of the brat’s cock.

Eren’s eyes were half-lidded and his face was flushed. The brunette managed to nod, jerking a little as the raven-haired man toyed with the sensitive ridge just beneath the head of his cock.

Levi hummed low in his throat, almost chuckling but not quite. “Still want to pass it up, brat?”

Even as the brunette started to shake his head almost violently, Levi swiped his finger across the tip of the boy’s dick, smearing the gathering precum that had started weeping out. The raven deliberated on how to proceed, not for a lack of instinct or thought on what to do, but to decide the best way to please Eren.

After all…this would be the kid’s first orgasm, obviously it would be stupid and idiotic to expect a horny virgin creature that could very well be five times the raven’s age or more to be able to last very long under the hand of someone like Levi. Trying to give the kid his first blow job and draw out the process would be pointless.

Instead, the raven decided to try the total opposite and throw in all of his favourite tricks. In the end, he would let Eren’s body choose which action would send him over the edge.

Levi held Eren’s erection in his hand and gave him a few firm strokes to get him used to the feeling. The kid had leaked enough precum that it was barely worth trekking to the bedroom to grab some extra lube, so Levi stayed put. Eren squirmed and whimpered and his legs kept trying to close but each time Levi would coax them open again with little bites and kisses to the brunette’s thighs.

The raven worked from the thigh up along one side of the boy’s v-line, licking and rubbing the tingling skin with gentle fingertips. Levi moved in, placing a deliberate trail of kisses along the underside of his cock, up and down and back again. The raven-haired male moved his lips methodically from balls to head, relishing every little sound, gasp, whimper and sigh that escaped the boy’s mouth.

“L-Levi…” He panted out the name, probably meaning to say it a bit louder, but in its own way that intimate gasp of a whisper was even better.

To reward the brunette, Levi gave a thorough, ice-cream cone lick to the head of his cock.

Movement in the raven’s peripheral vision caught his attention and Levi noticed with a smug little smirk that Eren’s hands were clutching the bean bag chair tightly, desperately.

Without pausing to give the boy a break, Levi reached over and grabbed Eren’s hand in his own, prying it from its death-grip on the beanbag and tugging it over to rest atop the raven’s head. Levi didn’t have to reach for the brunette’s other hand as Eren got the message and the raven-haired man relished the shaky fingers that tangled in his hair.

Eren’s grip was trembling, shifting between a loose hold and sharper little tugs whenever Levi worked a little too well. Suddenly Eren let out a desperate sounding whine and tried to pull back, attempting to push Levi away.

The raven slid his mouth up and off of Eren, letting the head of his cock pop free, and wiped a hand over his mouth.

“What?” Levi rasped, looking up at the boy.

The brunette was a panting mess, cheeks flushed with a delicious shade of pink that darkened the longer Levi stared up at the boy, and he shook his head weakly.

“Enough…t-that’s enough.”

“Brat. You haven’t even cum yet.”

“I can’t…no more.” Eren almost whimpered out the words, letting out a shaky laugh. “I feel like I’m going to explode.”

Levi only chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re too cute. You’re fine; you won’t explode…” the raven paused to chuckle, “well…not in a bad way. Trust me, Eren…it’s worth finishing.”

At a nod from the brunette, Levi ducked his head again and went to work. No teasing this time, no fancy tricks, just pure undiluted pleasure.

Eren keened and bucked his hips into the raven’s mouth, stuttering and babbling his apologies.

Levi pulled back as Eren started throbbing in his mouth, smirking at the betrayed whine that sounded from the brunette at the loss of that delicious wet heat. The raven finished Eren off with his hand, scooting around to sit beside the boy, kissing and biting along his neck and sucking at his collar bone.

The sound Eren made should have been criminal. An almost pained moan ripped its way up through his throat almost against his will and the brunette would have thrown his head back had Levi not stopped him with a hand curled gently but firmly around the back of his neck.

“Watch, Eren,” the raven crooned in his ear, “look…”

And he did.

The brunette stared transfixed, unable to keep quiet but also unable to look away as he witnessed his own cock jerk and twitch and suddenly as the boiling heat in his gut became too much, all too much for him to take…it snapped and sent him tumbling into release.

Eren came hard, mesmerized by the white hot jets of milky fluid that spurted out from the tip of his dick. He all but screamed at the feeling; it was too good to bear and all of his senses soared.

The brunette’s breaths were high pitched and shaky as he came down from the high, still twitching in the raven’s hand.

“Good, Eren…you did so good.” Levi praised, trailing kisses over Eren’s face.

The boy managed a mumbled slur of a response that was more of a noise than actual words, letting his eyes slip shut for a moment as he curled against the raven.

Levi ran a hand through his hair, stroking gently, comfortingly, until he deemed that the kid had come down enough from his high to start cleaning up.

“Eren..?”

“Mm?”

“You should take a shower; get yourself cleaned up before that shit sets.” Levi murmured, running two fingers through the mess of translucent white that painted the brat’s stomach. “Trust me on this, the longer you leave it, the more of a bitch it is to clean it up.”

“Mrph.” The boy made a complaining sound, pulling a face. “Can’t I rest just a little bit longer?”

“No, come on, get up.”

“But it’s so warm and you’re so comfy.”

“Eren.”

“I don’t wanna.”

The raven chuckled fondly at the brat’s words, placing a light kiss to the top of his head. “Go take a shower, brat.”

“But Leviiiii-”

“No, you don’t want that shit drying on you, trust me.” Levi said, flicking the brat between the eyes. “Get your ass up and get clean, brat.”

Eren groaned but conceded eventually needing Levi’s help to get up after discovering that his legs had apparently turned to jelly. He was on his feet soon enough and Levi sent him stumbling towards the bedroom with a playful slap on the ass.

The raven watched him go and a mischievous little smirk twitched at one side of Levi’s mouth as he heard the bathroom door close…but not lock.

Chuckling, the raven shook his head.

“Oh, Eren…you’re either a tease or a fool.”

Sparing a quick moment to clean up any mess left over from their activities, Levi winced slightly at the throb of his own erection and headed for his room, or more specifically…the bathroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that…that’s a thing. Thoughts? Was that as crap as I think it was?  
> Hopefully you don’t all hate my style of smut, I’ve never posted any of it before but I’ve written plenty. Any suggestions for smut-related things for the boys are welcome; I have zero ideas in my sleep-deprived brain :p  
> Anyway, I’ll probably be a little busy for a few days still but I should be able to get up a chapter up every two days or so :)


	19. On Your Frequency

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okeydokey, part two of the first day of Levi being grounded. Not many downsides so far, really. Another smut warning for this chapter and it’s…pretty much the first half of the chapter so if you don’t like that stuff then feel free to skip down a bit.  
> Here goes nothing.  
> Enjoy!

“And it's breaking over me. A thousand miles down to the seabed, found a place to rest my head. Never let me go.” - Florence + The Machine, Never Let Me Go.

***

 

Eren didn't bother to fold his clothes as he undressed, letting the material fall to the floor and pool around his feet. His brain felt like it was buzzing as he stepped into the shower and under the warming stream of water, still reeling from what Levi had done to him, for him.

It was no understatement to say that he felt well and truly blown away. The sensations, the heat, the way he felt so good that he couldn't even control his own movements any more; it was unlike anything he had ever experienced. The only thing that even came close was feeding; the primal rush, the pleasure, the drive...only this was somehow better.

Humans got to feel like that whenever they wanted? How in Death's name had the brunette not experienced such a thing until now? It felt absolutely absurd in his own mind. Eren wondered what else he might have missed in his hell-bent quest for strength.

The boy was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the sound of Levi's footsteps pausing just outside the door. His senses, usually so sharp, felt clouded in such a wonderful way that Eren couldn't even bring himself to care.

Partially drowned out by the rush of water from the shower, the sound of the bathroom door opening didn't reach Eren either.

Not until he caught sight of movement in his peripheral vision.

The brunette looked up, startled by the sudden appearance of another figure in the room. It was only Levi, of course, but Eren couldn't begin to calm himself down as he realised his own quite obvious state of undress. And his embarrassment only grew when Levi sauntered in without a word of explanation and started stripping down. It wasn't as if Eren hadn’t imagined something of the sort occurring, in fact he had even hoped that the raven might grow bold enough to finally give Eren a show worth watching, but now that it was happening the brunette couldn’t help but stammer.

“W-What are you doing?”

The raven glanced up, pausing briefly in his task and sending the brunette a little crooked smile.

“Well I figured that we can’t keep taking separate showers, otherwise my water bill is going to skyrocket.” The raven explained in a cheeky tone, folding his shirt and setting it aside on the sink. “So we’ll just have to clean up together, don’t you think?”

Eren cursed the raven's words for making such sense before instantly back-pedalling in his own thoughts. Surely this was a good thing? A little dangerous for temptation's sake, but Eren could handle it. As long as he didn't let his guard fall too low, Levi would be fine.

Levi watched the boy fidget under the water, eyes dropping to the floor. Apparently he was still edgy from the sensory overload, but the raven couldn’t stop himself from smirking a little at the almost shy little glances he caught as he removed the rest of his own clothes. As far as Levi was concerned, fair was fair. Eren might as well have a proper view of his investment.

But the boy had turned away a little, letting his head run under the streaming water like he was trying to clear his thoughts. Teal eyes were lost behind closed lids scrunched tight to prevent any intruding water and Eren's brow was furrowed.

Levi released a breath, realising that he had been holding it in unintentionally, and he noticed the tension in the brunette's shoulders ease a little, along with his features which softened at the sound.

“Any particular reason that you won't look at me?” The raven enquired, setting the last of his clothes aside.

“I thought you would appreciate the privacy.”

The raven couldn't help but smile at that and he was almost glad that the brat's eyes were still closed. Somehow smiling still felt strange to Levi and he wasn't quite comfortable enough to do so freely. Not yet. But he couldn't keep a straight face while Eren was hiding in the corner like that, trying to be courteous even when the notion was completely ridiculous in such a situation.

It was a fucking shower, they were both stark naked, who cares about privacy?

Shaking his head and easing the smile into a cheeky little smirk, Levi padded across the tiles.

“You’re adorable.” The raven muttered, his voice suddenly closer as the smaller male stepped into the shower alongside the brunette.

Eren let out a mortified squeak as he felt a hand brush over his hip and his eyes snapped open, comically wide in their shock. Without really pausing to think it through, the brunette grabbed hold of the other man’s wrist like it was a snake.

Levi was still smirking away at the boy when their eyes finally met. “What? Are you suddenly going to go all shy on me?” Grey eyes flared with mischief. “Don’t tell me you’re all talk, Eren?”

The brunette wanted to argue that he was not, in fact, all talk. He never made a threat or a promise that he would back down from and he wasn't afraid to pick a fight.

But in this case, he was well and truly floundering out of his depth. What the hell was he even supposed to do with a naked man? The only answer he had ever needed concerned food, but of course Levi was different. Precious and not to be spoiled so quickly. But the man's tone, the look on his face...just like before in the living room. Should Eren reciprocate? And how? In the same way? God, what the hell could he do?

“N-No!” The boy argued indignantly, although the blush on his face didn’t help to make him look at all intimidating. “You just took me by surprise!”

“That was the point. I wanted to see what you’d do.”

The raven-haired man took a long deliberate moment to let his eyes wander over Eren’s bare form; taking in the tanned skin and subtle muscle that shifted with each anxious little twist of movement. The brunette looked completely at a loss of what to do, how to proceed, and Levi loved every second of it. The brat that was always such a cheeky little shit finally didn't have anything to say...and all because of Levi. It was a personal victory that the raven would cherish.

Eren wasn’t nearly as solidly built as the raven was; the boy was leaner and just a little bit lanky but there was distinguishable form still. The tanned skin was soft, but just beneath lay firmer muscle that Levi could appreciate. Eren had the kind of build that gave the raven a strong urge to lick every inch of him, and while he wouldn't follow through with that desire just yet, Levi did reach out to run his fingers along the brunette’s abdominals. The muscles shifted and tightened beneath his fingertips and Eren shivered, hands clenching and unclenching where they lent back against the tiles to support him.

Levi smirked up at the brunette. “Apparently surprising you in the shower makes you adorable as fuck.”

“Sh-Shut up.” The boy pouted, straightening a little to fold his arms and look away.

Levi only scoffed.

Eren looked back over to him, mouth open to make some sort of sassy remark when he paused suddenly. The brunette’s eyes roved over the raven-haired man before him in a sweeping stare, finally pausing long enough amidst his frazzled thoughts to actually take a good look at the man in front of him.

And Levi looked glorious.

The boy choked out a whimper at the sight, covering his mouth with one hand and reaching out to place his other hand on the raven’s shoulder. Levi’s skin was cooler than his even under the water and the brunette let his hand trail down the wet skin, watching droplets snake slippery trails down the man’s arms. The dark shade of Levi’s tattoos made the raven look mean, like he could tear Eren’s head off at any moment if he wanted to. That shouldn’t have been a turn on…but, sweet flames of Hell, it was.

And of course, the raven-haired man noticed.

Grey eyes flickered down briefly; just a glance, but by the time they lifted once more there was amusement swimming in the stormy orbs.

The low chuckle that rolled its way off Levi's tongue was as good as any sin to Eren's ears. “Getting it up twice in one day?” Levi purred, stepping closer until Eren had his back up against the wall. “Is that because you’re glad to see me?”

The brunette hissed at the cold tiles against his hot skin, but the next sound he made was something else entirely.

Levi had his fingers rubbing at the prominent v of muscle that led down to the brunette’s groin, pressing in against the skin there with a firm touch while his other hand reached up to curl behind Eren’s neck. The raven stretched up onto his toes to kiss the boy, and as he did he let his hand drop lower to palm at the boy’s semi-erect cock.

The sound Eren choked out against Levi's lips was exquisite and the raven chuckled against the boy’s mouth. Levi arched a brow as he stared at the brunette through his dripping hair.

“Good?” He murmured, so close that his lips still brushed against the brunette’s as he spoke.

“Mmhm…” Eren nodded his head vigorously, bumping their foreheads together a little.

Neither of them could care less about clumsiness at the moment.

“Lightweight,” The raven smirked, “we’ve barely even started.”

Eren managed to shake his head, forcing out words on his next breath. “W-What about you?”

“What about me?” Levi arched a brow, the beginnings of a sly smile forming on his lips.

“Aren’t you going to..?” The boy left the sentence open, glancing down between them to where Levi’s own cock stood in a proud curve.

A little frown crossed Eren's face as he noticed something silver glinting and he nearly laughed when he realised what it was. The final two piercings.

The raven's brow twitched a little, lending him a confused look. “What's funny?”

Oh, so Levi had noticed the smiling? Apparently, because he pulled his hand back and waited for the boy to talk to him. Eren shook his head and snickered a little.

“Nothing, I just...” the brunette trailed off into another tiny fit of snickering, “I can see why you didn't want to show me those before.”

Levi glanced at where Eren gestured, an amused sound humming in his throat as he understood.

“Yeah. Not exactly a child-friendly program, that.” The raven smirked, giving a little shrug. “But if you want to see, now's your chance.”

Eren looked on as Levi reached down and took his own cock in hand, holding it back against his stomach so that Eren could get a proper look at the two metal accessories. Barbell styled piercings, both of them, one closer to the top located right under the head and the other down lower, resting just above the balls.

Eren swallowed hard, unable to take his eyes of the metal on proud display. Levi let himself go with an amused exhale at the brunette's expression, rolling his weight onto his back foot and folding his arms.

The smaller male was so close that Eren could feel the heat coming from his body. Close, all too enticingly close and yet too far at the same time. The feeling was so conflicting that Eren felt as though he may go mad. But if it was from the way the man in front of him smiled, the way he teased with just his fingertips, his lips, his eyes, Levi...Eren might not even mind leaving his sanity behind.

The raven wasn't helping Eren's thought process at all; in fact the brunette was certain that Levi was teasing him on purpose, all flickering eyes and wet skin and mischief.

His smirk grew a little, thin lips quirking up at one side. “I thought I’d pay a little attention to you first.”

Christ that sounded good. Better than good, it sounded like the best idea in the world. But it wasn't what Eren wanted; it wasn't what he was trying to ask.

He tried again. “Can’t we…together?”

Levi smirked at Eren’s apparent inability to focus on speech while being teased, stretching up to peck the brunette on the nose. He could play with the kid like this for hours, all day if he wanted. But the frustrated whine that left Eren's throat convinced him to ease up and help the brat out.

Leaning in further, the raven whispered into the brunette's ear. “You want me to cum with you?” He murmured, letting his tongue flick out to trace the shell of Eren's ear. “Is that it?”

The brunette let out a sigh as Levi mouthed down his neck. “Y-Yeah.”

“We can do that.” The raven nodded, pressing his lips to the boy’s collar bone. “Is that what you want?”

He felt Eren nod more than he saw it. The suggestion was an excellent one in Levi's mind and he had every intention of giving Eren everything that he wanted. But first there was quite a lot of unmarked skin in view that looked too good to leave bare.

Eren let his head loll back, bumping against the shower tiles as he lost himself to the raven’s light touches. He moaned at the first bite, light and cautious to begin with as the raven learned what Eren liked. The combination of Levi's mouth working above and that teasing hand that dropped to play with the brunette's balls were more than enough to satisfy Eren for the moment. Levi attacked the bared skin of Eren’s throat, nipping, grazing and sucking careful marks that would bruise wonderfully later.

Levi had always been quite attracted to the idea of marking his partners, but Eren drew out something far more primal than he had ever felt before. There was something far more possessive about the way he sunk his teeth into the boy's skin, wanting more, always more, wanting to leave signs for anyone and everyone to see that Eren was his. The brunette moaned aloud as if he could sense the thought, sliding his arms about the raven as if to urge him on.

The boy relished each nip, bringing up a hand to hold the smaller male’s head in place and encourage him to go further, bite harder. More.

“Touch me.”

Levi hadn't meant to sound so rough, so demanding, but if the way Eren's eyes darkened when he pulled back was any indication then the boy didn't mind at all.

The hand that crept its way down his chest to scrape blunt nails across his stomach was tentative, but the boy seemed to want Levi to feel the same pleasure that he was handing out. It was a shaky hand that finally brushed against the head of the smaller male's dick and Levi made a soft sound against the boy's skin.

The raven tried his very best to be patient, wanting Eren to feel comfortable and unpressured. The brunette was clearly determined, albeit hesitant, and Levi let Eren explore to his heart's content while he licked his way down the boy's chest to clamp his teeth down over one hardened nipple.

Eren clearly hadn't been expecting that as he threw his head back, crying out, and his hands stuttered against the raven's skin.

“Easy,” Levi breathed, “…is it too much?”

The brunette was breathing hard, his eyes shut tight while he fought to speak. “N-No...don't...don't stop.”

“Okay.” The raven murmured, trying to keep his tone gentle as he watched for any sign of pain or reluctance. “But tell me to stop if you want to. I'll understand.”

Eren nodded his agreement before continuing where he had left off.

Fingers moved around slowly, carefully, learning the shape and the feel of the raven's length while looking for the best way to please him. Eren ran fingertips along the metal of the first piercing, learning with great satisfaction that Levi had quite a bit of trouble keeping his voice down when the underside of his cockhead was touched. The brunette repeated what he had seen Levi do before, curling his fingers around the raven's shaft and moving his hand up and along in measured movements. All the while he watched for any sign that he might have done something wrong and tried not to lose himself too much in the feelings wracking his own body.

A ragged breath rattled out of the raven's lungs when Eren twisted his hand around the head of Levi's cock and the brunette's hand stopped instantly.

“I'm sorry-”

“Don't be.” Levi cut him off, his voice sounding far lower than usual. “For God's sake, do that again.”

Eren did exactly that, repeating the motion and feeling the smaller male panting, his breaths falling hot against the brunette's skin.

“Shit that's good.”

Something odd surged through the boy's body at that, a rush of elation from being able to cater to the raven's needs. It was strange, something that he hadn't felt for another creature before, and he wanted that feeling again. Eren repeated hat simple little motion, stroke down and back up, curl and twist at the tip and slide his palm down the underside of the raven's cock. Rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat.

And damn if it didn't work like a charm.

Levi's breathing was growing more ragged by the minute, his eyes shut tight against the sensations. The smaller male’s hips met the rhythm that Eren set with his hand, heaving a shuddering sigh.

“Stop, Eren, or I'll come before you do.”

Grey eyes looked up in time to catch the mischievous little flare pass behind teal orbs and he chuckled.

“Oh no, don't you fucking dare, you little shit.” The raven chided, swatting the boy's hand away with his own. “Come here.”

Levi stepped closer to Eren until they were practically flush together. The brunette blushed a little, a pretty pink shade dusting over his cheeks, and Levi laughed at him.

“Fucking brat...you're too goddamned cute. Stop pouting and give me your hand.”

Eren reluctantly held out his hand, which Levi took and guided down between them. The brunette watched with no small amount of embarrassment as the raven curled Eren's fingers around both of their cocks and the Levi did the same with his own hand. The boy's face turned fully scarlet as he felt Levi throbbing alongside him, ducking his head a little and swallowing.

“This is how we'll do things for now.” The raven explained, swallowing and closing his eyes for a moment as Eren's hips stuttered a little and creating friction that neither of them had been prepared for. The rest of his words came out more of a rasp of air than any particular tone. “I don't really think you're ready for full blown fuckery.”

“Says you.” The brunette huffed.

A chuckle sounded, low and breathless. “Exactly. Says me.” Levi, in a true display of childishness, stuck his tongue out at the boy. “And it's my house so I'm in charge. So fuck you.”

“Isn't that the point we're making here?” Eren managed to giggle as he finally took a good look down between them. “Fuck you? Yes please.”

Levi shook his head at the brat, pleased to at least have seen him grow a teensy bit more confident. At least enough to tease him back. It was a start.

Without much more preamble, the raven pushed forward and into their collective grip, smirking when the action succeeded in shutting up Eren at least in the sense that he stopped talking. But the boy made quite a bit of noise.

Levi had always been a fairly vocal participant when it came to sex. He figured that it was partly to make up for not speaking much to begin with. But Eren...damn, the kid's body practically sang.

The raven-haired man found himself rejoicing at finally having a vocal partner. It had been so long since he'd had anyone react so freely during sex that he'd almost given up on expecting it. But holy hell, the sounds Eren made were practically criminal. Moans so broken that if Levi didn't know any better he would have thought that the brat was in pain, stuttered breathing that rose and fell in pitch from high whines to nothing more than heavy panting.

The sounds, the sight of Eren completely lost in the moment and the delicious friction was enough to push that heat in the raven's belly higher, burning like only the sweetest fire, and Levi didn't have to wonder if Eren was close as well because the boy's keening whine told him all that he needed to know.

Moments later Eren cried out a choked sound that morphed partway through into a whimper, and then the boy was cumming. Levi felt the brunette's cock pulse and throb next to his own and then hot jets of cum painted his hand, his stomach, and the raven found himself snapping into release as well. He came with a shuddering growl, thrusting erratically a few more times into their hands before slowing with a shaky exhale.

Both males were breathing hard and Eren's head rested against Levi's shoulder. The brunette slumped against the raven when his shaking legs refused to hold him up any longer.

Levi clicked his tongue, still trying to catch his breath. “Ah...fuck you,” he chided in a husky rasp, managing a lazy smirk that the kid couldn't see, “be glad I'm not a fucking weakling, you lazy shit.”

The words were harsh but the tone couldn't have been fonder for the raven-haired man as he slid an arm around Eren's waist to hold him up. Levi trailed butterfly kisses along the boy’s shoulder and up his neck until the taller male could stand on his own again.

Even then the brunette had to lean against the wall, braving the cold bite of the tiles while his legs still felt like jelly.

“H-Holy shit.” He managed after a moment, looking up and across at the man before him.

Levi chuckled at him. “Well said.”

The raven seemed to be far less out of it than Eren felt. It really didn't seem fair at all, but heck, if this was what sex would be like all the time them the brunette couldn't find a reason to complain. Bring it on.

“We…” Eren paused, still catching his breath, “…we need…to do that more often.”

The raven hummed his agreement, reaching for the soap.

“About time we actually cleaned up, though.” He murmured, lips quirking up on one side to form a half-smirk. “That is what the shower is for.”

Eren laughed through his nose, waving a hand dismissively. “Alright, alright.”

The boy reached out to take the soap from the raven, giving him a confused look when Levi shook his head and stepped closer.

“Here, let me...”

Eren found a whole new kind of contentment letting Levi fuss over him like this, fingertips pressing firmly into his skin to work any dirt away, trailing soap suds all over the brunette’s body. The brunette swallowed, closing his eyes against the running water as he let his head loll back.

Levi's hands moved in steady circular motions over the boy's chest, pausing to tweak the brat's nipples with a gentle pinch between a thumb and forefinger before moving on. Smirking when the action drew a gasp from the unsuspecting brunette, the smaller of the two leaned in to place an encouraging kiss to the boy's jaw.

Being unable to see what the raven would do next somehow made each sensation that much more prominent. Each brush of fingers and the slide of soapy hands drew pleased little hums from the boy.

“Don't fall asleep on me, brat. I will leave you in here if you do.”

Eren let out a lazy chuckle. “Pfft.”

The raven smirked at the sound, responding with a little hum of his own. “Turn around.” Levi punctuated the request with a light smack to the boy's ass.

Eren's eyes opened slowly and the raven-haired man had to suppress a strong urge to snort at the suspicion swimming in those teal depths.

“What for?” The brunette challenged, nostrils flaring a little.

“What for?” Levi repeated in a dubious tone. “What do you think I'm going to do? Stab you in the back? With a bar of soap?”

Levi shook his head, muttering something inaudible under his breath at Eren's lack of faith in him. The distrustful expression remained for a moment longer before Eren sighed and ducked his head sheepishly.

“Sorry...I'm just...I'm not used to this.” He confessed in a small voice, keeping his eyes low. “It's nice, don't get me wrong,” Eren hurried to explain, “...but where I'm from you don't turn your back on anyone without suspecting them.”

Levi could understand that just fine. He knew exactly how it felt to be inherently distrustful of everyone, having grown up the way he did. Hell, Levi was amazed that Eren had managed to worm his way into his life so quickly because of that very same lack of trust. But he was learning to live with it, to accept this new presence...and he found that it wasn't so bad. Eren would just need some time to adjust to the same.

“That's fine.” Levi murmured, leaning back to give the brat some space and folding his arms. “I get it, you're instincts are on high alert. But seriously, Eren...I'm not going to hurt you. You can trust that.”

Eren made a face, the expression a reluctant one. “I do trust you.” He sighed at last, still seemingly at war with his own thoughts.

“Then let me wash your back you goddamned stubborn brat.” The raven said through a chuckle, reaching up with his free hand to poke the brunette’s forehead. “You're not clean yet.”

The smaller male stretched up onto his toes to kiss Eren's forehead, a gentle reassurance as he tapped the boy's hip in silent instruction for him to turn. The brunette obeyed, but not after leaning down for one last kiss which the raven-haired man was forced to break.

“Oi, cut that out. You can smooch all you want later, brat. Now, about face.” The raven ordered, punctuating with a flick of his wrist.

Eren gave a snort at the command, giving a mock-salute. “Yessir!”

The raven rolled his eyes through a smirk as the brat finally turned around and the smaller of the two ran gentle fingers up the brunette's spine. He followed through a moment later with the hand holding the soap.

“You can get your hair done while your hands are free.” Levi smirked, passing around a bottle of shampoo with his free hand.

The brunette turned his head, taking the bottle with a little smile and a murmur of thanks. Levi began to lather the boy's back, spreading the suds about with one hand and rubbing the soap over tanned skin with the other.

Eren squeezed a liberal amount of the transparent goo into his hand before replacing the bottle on its shelf and rubbing the shampoo into his wet hair. He could feel the raven's fingers massaging along his shoulder blades, nails working out any traces of dirt. As Eren worked the shampoo into his hair, he recognised the scent it gave off. The smell was familiar; most definitely the same brand that Levi used for himself. The scent was always subtle on the raven, and it was all the more overwhelming now.

The boy closed his eyes as he rinsed the white bubbles out of his hair, feeling Levi scrubbing at his lower back in the end stages of his cleaning fit. Just as the brunette was finishing up with his hair, the raven set the soap aside and returned his hands to Eren's hips. The smaller male stretched up to set his teeth to the boy's shoulder, letting his tongue sooth over the marks as his hands wandered around to grab at the brunette's ass.

Eren made a noise somewhere between a yelp and an uncertain moan, like he wasn't quite sure if he enjoyed the feeling or not. Levi chuckled against his skin, kissing his way up the boy's neck when he turned his head.

“Too much?” The raven teased, not removing his hands.

Eren made a noncommittal noise. “No...but if you don't want to be pounced on, you might want to hold off for a while.”

“Fair enough.”

The smaller male backed off with one last squeeze, letting Eren turn back around. He was met with a kiss, oddly gentle for such a possessive creature, and when the brunette pulled back at last he let their forehead rest together.

“Can I help you wash up now?” Eren asked in a quiet voice, teal eyes boring into languid grey.

“Only if you do it right.”

A languorous smile crept across the brunette's features and he reached out to loop his arms about the raven's shoulders. “Show me?”

Levi eventually agreed to let Eren do the same for him, teaching the brat the right way to move his fingers so that they pressed firmly enough into the skin without causing pain. Eren seemed to find the method extremely entertaining for some reason.

“You know if you wanted a massage, you could have just asked.” The brunette teased when he could no longer hold back his snickering.

“Shut up. It’s the best way to get any grime away.” Levi shot back in defence.

“Sure, sure, of course it is.”

“Tch.”

When at last the cleaning was over, Eren sprang out of the shower and shook himself off, ignoring the glare it earned from the raven.

“Oh shush, it's just water. It'll dry.”

“It'll leave marks, you twerp.”

“Right, right, of course it will.” The brunette couldn't help rolling his eyes.

Eren was certain that he must be sparkling clean by now as he stepped out of the shower, but he was disappointed to find no such sparkles on him when he looked in the mirror. The brunette watched the silver glass, his initial mock pout morphing into something darker.

The boy hated the idea of mirrors in this place…all too close to his human. So far this one remained dormant...but it was only ever a matter of time.

Levi frowned up at the boy when he scowled towards the shining silver panel of glass for too long a moment to be considered accidental.

“Calm down, it’s just your reflection.” He teased, hoping to lighten up the steadily growing tension in the air.

Eren didn't smile, nor did he look away from the glass. “It’s not my reflection that I’m worried about.” The boy muttered under his breath, barely loud enough for the raven to hear.

But Levi did hear it. He frowned, walking over towards the brat and snatching up a towel on the way.

Wrapping the towel around himself, the raven looped his arms about Eren's waist from behind and leaned against the boy's back. “You really need to start making sense.”

“It’s…it’s not important.” Eren murmured in a small voice after a moment, shaking his head. “Not right now.”

Levi wasn't convinced. “Which just means that it’s important as fuck but you don’t want me to worry?”

It was the truth of things, plain and simple, and Eren wouldn't deny that. Both of them knew that some secrets were worth keeping.

Pausing for a brief moment, Eren let his head drop. “…yeah.” The brunette sighed at last.

And that was all that Levi wanted to hear. He didn't need the details, hell he didn't even want them really. As long as he wasn't being blatantly lied to then they would have no problems for now.

Nodding to himself, Levi stretched a little to rest his chin atop the brunette's shoulder. “Should I be worried?”

Grey eyes sought out teal in the mirror and the brunette shook his head in response.

“Not at the moment, no.”

The raven trusted that answer. If Eren told him that he was safe, then he was.

“As long as you let me know, then I can live with you and your secrets.”

“I appreciate that.”

With one last kiss to the boy's shoulder, Levi stepped back and dried off properly, tossing the towel to the brunette when he was finished. As the raven dressed, he eyed Eren curiously. The boy still had yet to revert back into his demonic form...or at least the portion of it that he could show to Levi. The smaller man wondered why Eren felt the need to keep up his disguise.

“So…are you going to be staying like that forever or..?”

Eren looked up, blinking at the raven. “Like what?”

“Human.”

“Oh,” the boy gave a nod of understanding, “well...I thought you might not want me traipsing about with a tail.”

“I don’t mind.” The raven admitted with a shrug.

The look on Eren's face was priceless; his eyes opened wide in the way a small child's might if their parents brought home a box full of puppies. Even still, the brunette felt the need to clarify.

“You...won’t be bothered by it?” The look of hope in those wide eyes was near comical.

Levi chuckled under his breath as he crossed over to where his clothes were folded. “No…it’s actually kind of cute.”

Eren gave a snort at that, trying to fight away the light blush that dusted his cheeks in delicate pink. “You wouldn’t say that if you saw the full transformation.”

The raven sent him a cheeky wink as he gathered up his pants. “Never assume.”

The brunette cast a mischievous smirk the raven's way as the smaller male tossed across Eren's own pants from where they had laid on the floor. The boy caught them, blowing a kiss and grinning as he held the wadded up jeans against his hip.

“Fine, fine, but I can’t really show you,” Eren said, his features morphing with a look of disappointment, “…the living world doesn’t really react all that well to my true form. It causes all sorts of problems.”

Levi thought back to that day in the apartment when he had been faced with two copies of Eren under the same roof. The whole damned building had been shaking, not to mention the awful change in weather.

“Like the rain that day?” Levi offered, tugging his pants back on.

The boy nodded, apparently knowing the exact day that the raven was referring to.

“Yeah, and some.” Eren sighed before giving a lopsided smile. “I did manage to make it hail once.”

Apparently that counted as some sort of minor personal victory to the brunette because the boy grinned over at him like the news had been fantastic.

“You fucking weirdo.” Levi shook his head at the proud smile on Eren’s face.

The raven-haired man went to pull on his shirt when the boy darted over suddenly and seized the smaller male by the elbows.

“Leave the shirt?” Eren asked hopefully, biting his lip.

Levi rolled his eyes but handed the shirt over to Eren who grinned and set it back down on the vanity. If it were colder, he might have declined, but as it was the temperature was bearable and Eren's request had been a simple one.

“Hurry up and get dried off before you catch a cold.” The raven chastised, folding his arms across his chest.

The boy snatched up the towel and obeyed but still called over his shoulder. “I can’t get sick.”

Levi stared at him in disbelief. “You’re one lucky motherfucker then.” He said after a moment with a shake of his head. “I pray to whatever deity there is out there that you never have to see me sick.”

“That bad?” The brunette enquired, looking sympathetic as he finally began to get dressed again.

“It’s fucking awful.” The raven nodded, making a face of disgust. “My nose clogs up so I can’t breathe through it and everything aches. I don’t get ill often but when I do…it’s a living nightmare.”

Levi padded past Eren and back out into the bedroom, taking his shirt with him and leaving it folded at the end of his bed. He moved on out into the living room and headed straight through into the kitchen with every intention of making food.

It didn't take long for Eren to some prancing out, properly dressed at last and grinning like some love-struck teen.

“You look ridiculous.”

The grin only grew wider at Levi's comment. “Well you look delectable.”

“Oi, none of that.” The raven chided, pulling bread out of the freezer to defrost. “If you’re hungry, then go eat. Just don't bring your mess back here okay? I hear that blood is a fucking nightmare to get out of carpet.”

Eren swung himself over the back of the couch, landing with a soft thud on the cushions. Stretching out, he gave a light-hearted hum.

“You really don't mind me killing people?”

“I don't like it.” Levi stated. “Not one bit. So make sure that you pick and choose your victims carefully. No families, no famous people, no children. You can go nuts with whatever criminals or murderers you find, then I don't give a shit. But for God's sake be clean about it. Got it?”

“Loud and clear.” The brunette nodded before giving a shrug. “But I'm not all that hungry...not right now.”

“Then make yourself useful and grab some jam or something out of the cupboard for me.”

Levi made a strawberry jam sandwich to satisfy his sudden craving for sweets, eating it at the table while Eren sprawled on the floor by his feet. The raven glanced down at him, rubbing a foot against the brat's belly when he wouldn't lay still.

“Restless twerp.”

It was a fond gesture and Eren ate it up, practically purring with the attention. It was at times such as those that Levi had a hard time believing that he had ever been afraid of this adorable little shit. The boy was basically the human personification of a puppy, constantly looking for affection and an avid attention seeker.

Eventually the brunette moved back to the sofa when Levi finished his food. The raven lingered in the kitchen to clean the dishes by hand rather than stack them up into the dishwasher.

“Levi?” Eren called from the sofa.

“Hn?” The raven murmured by means of a reply, glancing over his shoulder. “What is it, brat?”

“Come here, please.”

Eren stretched his arms out, wiggling his fingers at the smaller male in a cheeky invitation.

“What for?” The raven pressed, still elbow deep in soapy water. He cocked a brow up in challenge. “You’re not going to trap me in a cuddling session are you?”

“You don't like cuddles?” Eren asked, agape.

The kid looked absolutely mortified, like Levi had just snatched away Christmas and birthdays from him. Then again...Eren probably didn't have a birthday. Levi would have to remember to ask sometime.

“It's not that, I just haven't indulged in a while.” Levi called back to the brunette. “Let me finish here, I'll be over in a moment.”

True to his word, not five minutes later Levi had washed all the dishes and packed them away into their correct drawers and cupboards. He slunk over to the sofa and plopped himself down beside the boy, smiling gently when the kid instantly scooted closer to press against his side.

“Levi?” Eren murmured gently, looking up the raven through his lashes.

“Hmm?” The smaller male responded, wrapping his arms about the boy's shoulders.

The brunette nestled further into Levi's arms. “Let me know you.”

The raven exhaled, smirking a little. “I already gave you everything.”

“I know you did.” Eren’s smile turned adoring as he recalled the memory. “And I treasure that each day…but it takes a while to sort everything…images, words, collective knowledge. So in the meantime…talk to me.”

Eren looked so honest, so very hopeful in that moment. Levi didn't think twice about denying the boy.

“Ask whatever you want.” The raven said, bringing up a hand to brush some of the hair out of Eren's eyes.

“I’d prefer it if you’d just…say whatever you want to.” The brunette confessed, leaning into the touch. “Whatever you think of. Tell me anything at all.”

“If that’s how you want it. Fine…” Levi allowed, heaving a sigh and collecting his thoughts for a moment. And then the floodgates opened. “My name is Levi Ackerman, I am twenty six years old, my favourite colour is black and I like Saturdays better than all of the other days in the week. Monday’s no good; it means the start of the working week and fuck that. Tuesday is too close to Monday, so it’s out, Wednesday sucks because it’s the middle of the week and equally far away from the weekend on both fronts, and Thursdays just suck in general, don’t they? They’re getting close to the end of the week but still not quite there, geez, what a fucking miserable tease that is. Fridays aren’t bad but you still have to work, and then there are people who are always out on the streets fucking shit up, it’s weird. That leaves Saturday and Sunday, but obviously Sunday is too close to Monday and Mondays sucks so Sunday does as well.”

Levi had never spoken so many words in one go and it felt strange, not only for Levi but for the boy watching him. Eren looked at the raven with slightly widened eyes, seeming to grasp just how rarely the smaller man would open up like this.

The spiel went on for a while longer. Eren learned about Levi’s disdain for fishing metaphors and how the raven wasn’t a fan of many sports. He had only ever been interested in lacrosse and swimming as a kid. Levi enjoyed horror movies, cooking and watching those awful late night soap operas when he was drunk out of his right mind.

“Have you ever watched one of those shitty things when you’re blind drunk?” The raven had asked after trying to describe the experience. “It’s stupidly amazing.”

Levi loved cats, adored the fuzzy little felines, but he hadn’t owned any since his teen years.

“My mother died the first year I started school, I was a total loner as a kid, I broke a guy’s nose in my second year of school when he started talking shit about my mother, I tried making jam once for shits and giggles, I have set a kitchen on fire twice in my life and I lost my virginity to a guy named Albert when I was fifteen years old.”

That seemed to be the end of the raven’s confessions for one day and Eren blinked at him, starting to smile.

“Fifteen, huh? Wow…you were still pretty fresh then?”

“Yep.” The raven agreed.

“Was it mutual?”

“Oh yes,” Levi assured the boy, “we were fucking idiots though. It happened on a fucking picnic blanket down by the river in a park. We were both so fucking nervous that about halfway through we started laughing and couldn’t stop after that.” The raven gave an amused scoff at the memory, shaking his head. “I don’t really know how I would describe cumming while you’re laughing but it was…weird. Nice though.”

The quirky conversation carried on long into the afternoon and by the time the raven got up to start making dinner it was already growing dark outside. It had been a rather long day and Levi found himself feeling pleasantly exhausted.

Eren, the little shit, asked for each and every tiny detail about every sexual experience that the raven had ever had.

Apparently introducing a demon to the wonders of sexual pleasure was like opening a floodgate. Rather than simply relieving the brat, Eren only grew more curious. He wanted to know everything, more and more. Something about the vulnerability of being bare before a lover and having one’s most primal reactions coaxed from them seemed to appeal to the demon.

An acceptable form of weakness, that was what Eren called it. A vulnerability that was shared with only one other person, someone who was trusted.

Nothing of the sort had ever occurred in his own home, apart from the more fragile bonds between kin. Because of this, Eren's questions were endless, and most of the time kind of awkward.

“Wait, wait...so...you mean that you take it up the ass? That's how this shit works?”

“Nice accidental pun, brat.” Levi snorted, poking the kid's arm. “And yeah, that's basically it. I know it sounds gross and weird, and it is. But you'll understand once you've tried it.” The raven gave a shrug. “That's kind of how all sexual activities work; everything sounds crazy until you do it yourself.”

The brunette took a moment to ponder over this new information. “Is it anything like what we did today?”

The raven smirked across at him, leaning down to murmur in the brat's ear. “It's better.”

“Wow...”

Levi chuckled at the brunette's expression. “You should see your face, you look like you just found out that unicorns are real.”

“What's a unicorn?”

If the kid's face had looked adorably confused before, then it was fucking perfect now.

The raven suppressed his laughter behind a hand, shaking his head. “Doesn't matter, just another weird ass mythical creature.”

“Do you have a tattoo of one of those too?”

“Christ, no!” Levi said with a snort of laughter.

Eren smiled at the raven-haired man's chortling until the smaller male calmed down again.

“Ah, geez.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Say, back on the other topic. Do you think you'll be a top or a bottom?”

“A what?”

Blinking in silence, the raven stared at the brunette for a moment.

Levi tried again, hoping that maybe Eren had simply misheard him. “Do you want to top or not?”

“Top?” The boy frowned his confusion. “What does that mean?”

Oh God, yet another mystery to the brat. A bemused laugh escaped the raven's throat but he quickly stifled the sound against his hand.

“Oh Christ, why do you have to ask all the painful questions?” Levi chuckled to himself and sat back. “Okay, fine, I’ll say it.” There was a long moment of pause as the raven-haired man sorted out what he wanted to say. Looking Eren squarely in the eyes, he spoke. “Would you rather fuck me, as in _your_ dick in _my_ ass, or do you want me to fuck you? As in vice versa?”

For about five whole seconds all Eren could do was gape at him, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. A magnificent wave of red began to spread across the boy's face and when he did manage to make noise, it was not even close to a proper sentence.

“O-Oh…um…I d-don’t-”

Levi couldn't control the sudden burst of laughter that escaped him, throwing his head back with the sound. If Eren hadn't been mortified and stammering he might have been able to appreciate the rare sound. As it was he couldn't stop babbling while the raven howled with laughter beside him.

“Holy shit! Your face! _Your face!_ ” He wheezed, doubling over in his seat.

Eren had turned a glorious shade of scarlet; the boy was positive that the embarrassed heat reached all the way to his toes.

“Aha! Ah...Christ, brat, you're going to be the death of me.” The man smirked at last, suppressing the rest of his laughter and reaching out to push at the brunette's shoulder. “Relax, forget it. We'll jump off that bridge when we come to it.”

 

Eren was still blushing when he crawled into bed later that night. Levi took one look at the brat and snorted, leaning over to kiss him once and then once more before he chuckled and rolled over, tugging the boy's arms about his middle.

“Goodnight, Eren.”

“Goodnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that’s probably the most I will ever feel compelled to write about two guys in a shower. Honestly, that scene kind of got away from me. It was one in the morning and I was on a roll and didn’t check the page count until today. Wow.  
> So…yeah. Let me know what you think. Hopefully I didn’t miss any mistakes but if you spot any, feel free to tell me. Criticism is always welcome, just so long as no one is downright mean about it then no worries ^_^ I’m a good sport, I swear.


	20. An Outside Opinion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disney happens. That is all.  
> Enjoy!

“Cos everyone gets a little angry, but that’s just life, at least there’s you and me.” – NicePeter, A Little Song About Love.

***

 

Morning came barging through far more noisily than expected.

The two males stirred from their sleep at the sound of a loud banging. Still tangled together in a drowsy heap of limbs, the raven and the brunette exchanged confused glances, jumping a little as the banging noise started up again even louder than before.

“Are we under attack or something?” Eren mumbled through a yawn, stretching briefly. “What the hell is that?”

Levi made a reluctant sound, scooting towards the edge of the bed. “I’ve got an awful feeling that I know…”

After a brief tussle with a sleepy Eren who did not want to surrender the raven’s warmth just yet, Levi finally stumbled out of the bed and trudged his way to the front door. The deafening noise was most certainly coming from beyond the door, Levi surmised, as he saw the whole frame shake with the next round of insistent rapping.

Some asshole was knocking at the goddamned door.

Heaving a sigh, the raven tugged the door open and was greeted with the bright and manic grin of none other than Hanji.

“Surpriiiiiiiise-”

_Slam!_

Levi shoved the door shut in her face and stomped back into the bedroom, collapsing onto the mattress with a horrified groan.

“So? What was it?” Eren blinked blearily at the raven, prodding his side.

Levi rolled onto his back beside the brunette and groaned again.

“It was the Cheshire Cat on acid.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.” The raven sighed, but the noise turned into a growl at the sound of keys jingling followed by his front door opening.

Eren’s face morphed into a tired frown. “You shut the door on them even though they have a key?”

“Yep.”

“Was that really necessary?”

“Yes. Yes it was.”

Levi sensed more than saw the dubious look that Eren was sending him.

“Levi…”

The raven rolled his eyes, letting them close with a frown as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “Ugh, fine. No, it wasn’t necessary, but it was unbelievably satisfying.”

The brunette opened his mouth to speak again when a sudden screaming shriek tore through the quiet room.

“Leeeviiiiiiiiiii!!”

Levi groaned and the brunette shot up in alarm.

Eren’s bleary eyes focused on the dark shape of another human being standing in the gloomy entrance to Levi’s bedroom. The boy barely had time to react before the person let out some kind of mutant banshee screech and launched themselves forwards.

“LEVI! YOU’RE SEEING SOMEONE? _THIS IS SO GOOD! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL MEEEEE?!_ ”

“Because I knew that you’d do something like this.” The raven muttered through a mortified sob of a sound.

Levi lay back with an arm thrown over his eyes, not even bothering to keep an eye on Eren because he knew that there was no way the kid could escape his friend. He should have known that she would try something like this, he should have sensed it and changed the damned locks. Of course it wasn't entirely her fault, she'd only come by to pull the raven out of whatever slump she thought he was in. But now...

“Ahahahahahaaa! This is the best day ever! Levi, I'm so proud of you!”

Hanji had thrown herself onto the bed and grabbed the sleepy Eren in a crushing embrace. The boy made a startled sounding squeak, unsure of how to escape, and Levi smirked over at the brat from beneath his arm.

“He's adorable, how in the ever-living fuck did you manage to snatch him up?” Hanji continued to babble in excitement.

The brunette’s eyes blew wide in alarm. “L-Levi! Help!”

A quiet chuckle sounded in Levi's throat and the raven closed his eyes again. “You’re on your own, brat.”

Hanji turned wildly to look at the raven, kicking at him with a foot to get his attention. “Levi! What’s his name?” The woman turned rapidly back to the brunette caged in her hug before Levi could answer, pulling the boy up until their faces almost crashed together. “What’s your name?”

The brunette blinked owlishly up at her. “E-Eren.”

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HEHEEEE!!!” The bespectacled woman practically screamed in his face, pulling Eren into another hug. “Eren! You’re just _too cute!_ Really, Levi, he’s a total kitten, where did you find him, you sly old fox!” She let the boy move back only far enough so that their eyes could meet. “Eren, my name is Hanji, I’m Levi’s best friend!”

“Yeah, hello and good to see you too, shithead.” The raven muttered, kicking her back a little harder than necessary.

The woman complained in a loud whine before seemingly forgetting her pain in favour of interrogating the brunette still locked in her arms. The questions came so fast that Eren barely had time to register what they meant.

“How did Levi convince you to date him?”

“Was this a one night stand? Did I just land the awkward on you guys?”

“Are you an actor? Is this a secret porn thing? Levi, are you secretly working as a porn star behind my back?!”

“Is Levi actually some kind of pimp? Are you one of his bitches or whatever?”

“He’s not threatening you, is he? Eren, you can talk to me!”

Finally managing to break free from the woman’s death grip, Eren scrambled frantically across the bed and dove behind Levi, half hiding behind the raven’s back when the smaller male sat up. Eren peeped over Levi’s shoulder.

“Levi, I think there’s a monster in your house. What do I do? Do I kill it?”

“No, you moron, that’s just how she is.” Levi gave a frustrated sigh, hauling himself up and off of the bed. “I'll be in the kitchen.”

That got Hanji's attention.

“Ooooh? Breakfast?” The brown-haired woman smiled, clasping her hands together hopefully.

Levi just rolled his eyes. “Yes.” He muttered, scowling slightly from his place by the doorway. “And don't think I haven't noticed your timed arrival. Just because you wake me up before midday doesn't mean that I _have_ to make you food.”

“So you do it 'cos you're nice, then?” The woman offered with a lopsided smile.

“Heh. Let's keep telling ourselves that.”

The raven-haired man disappeared, slinking off towards the kitchen while Hanji snickered away to herself.

She turned back to Eren. “He'll never admit it, but he likes the distraction.”

The brunette pulled his attention away from lamenting the loss of Levi's company to look at Hanji. “Of cooking?”

She chuckled a little at his naivety. “That, and having his loud-mouthed friends barrelling in unannounced.” She grinned across at him. “Keeps him on his toes. Anyway, we'd better follow Mr Grouchy Pants if we want any say in the food.”

Eren watched Hanji scramble off of the bed and out the door like a madwoman, nearly tripping in her haste. And so, sucking in a deep breath to calm himself, Eren reluctantly followed.

He had a feeling that this was going to be a very long day.

 

Maybe Hanji should come over more often, Levi thought to himself. Eren seemed completely out of his element with the crazed woman prancing about Levi’s apartment. She had a thousand and one questions to ask and they came in quick succession, rapid fire inquiries that left the boy in a rare state of panic.

Levi listened to the exchange or, as he like to think of it, the ‘interrogation’ from the kitchen while he prepared a batch of crepes for breakfast.

Hanji sat on one end of the sofa with her hands steepled before her, resting her chin atop her joined hands as she stared at Eren. The brunette sat as far up the other end as he could without seeming openly rude.

“So, Eren…tell me about yourself.”

Eren blanched, paling a fraction. “Um…what kind of thing do you-”

“Let’s just start with the simple stuff, shall we?” The brown-haired woman cut him off with a cheery wave.

The boy blinked at her. “O-Okay.”

Levi smirked to himself, listening to the exchange and looking up to catch Eren's expressions.

Hanji started with a standard question. “When did you meet?”

That wasn’t so bad, Eren thought to himself. He could surely answer that without getting into any messy truth.

“A f-few weeks ago.” The boy managed.

“How?” Hanji pressed, leaning forward a little as her smile turned eager. “Where were you?”

Oh, Levi couldn't wait to hear the answer to that.

Eren swallowed hard and wrung his hands nervously. “Just…in the street.”

“And?” The woman prompted, throwing her hands in the air with a smile that was meant to be encouraging. “Details, Eren! I want all the gossip on my baby darling over there.”

The raven's eyebrow twitched from where he stood behind the counter. “Hanji, I can fucking hear you.”

“Shush, dear, I’m talking to your beau.” The woman laughed back at him before returning to her serious demeanour. “Sorry about that, Eren. Where were we? Oh yes, the details of how you two met. Was it romantic? Probably not, considering that it’s Levi we’re talking about-”

“Hanji…” Levi muttered through clenched teeth, his tone carrying warning.

“Nothing, nothing,” the brunette woman grinned a true Cheshire-style smile back at him, “just carry on back there.”

Eren flinched a little when the bespectacled woman spun her attention back to him yet again; frankly he was surprised that she hadn't given herself whiplash by now. The brunette realised that she was still awaiting her answer and racked his brain for a believable reply.

And then it hit him; he didn't exactly have to lie...all he had to do was avoid certain elements of the truth. Hanji would still get the real story, just not the...incriminating parts.

“Well…” he started, scratching absently at the back of his neck and ducking his head to avoid the woman's crazed eyes, “we just kept running into each other and things sort of carried on from there.”

Hanji was oddly quiet for a moment, long enough for Eren to look up in case she had fallen asleep or something. But the brunette woman was not asleep; she was staring across at Eren with a look of surprise.

“Really?” She asked after a slow blink. “Wow…that actually sounds pretty sweet.” The woman twisted herself around in an awkward position that couldn’t have possibly been comfortable in order to screech back at Levi. “Lever! You never told me that you had a sweet side!”

The raven pointedly ignored her use of the wretched nickname, making a dismissive sound. “Tch.”

“Sourpuss.” Hanji laughed back at him, correcting her position and shaking her head at Eren. “Is he like that with you as well? Pfft, of course he isn’t. I’ll bet he’s a regular sweetheart. Am I right? I am, aren’t I?”

The teal-eyed boy sat dumbstruck by the sudden barrage of questions. “Uh…”

In all honesty, Eren wasn't even sure if Hanji wanted him to answer at all. Maybe she was just talking because he was being quiet.

Taking his continued silence as a cue to move on, the brown-haired woman smiled and picked a new line of enquiry. “Have the two of you been on any dates?”

Well in Eren's mind they certainly had, but the boy was not so sure that Levi would class some of their encounters as 'dates'. A shame really.

He answered regardless, curious to see how the raven would respond. “Yes…”

Not even a twitch from the smaller male in the kitchen.

Hanji, however, seemed over the moon. “Aw, that’s a huge improvement from his last relationship!” She cried out in joy, throwing her arms into the air. “Well…I guess you couldn’t really call it that. They were more fuckbuddies than anything else-”

“Hanji, I swear to fuck if you don’t shut your goddamned mouth I will sew it shut.” Levi cut her off in such a toneless voice that Eren found himself shrinking back into the sofa a little, demonic powers be damned.

The woman didn't seem deterred in the slightest, in fact a rather sly grin formed on her face. “Oh? So you kept that sewing kit I bought for you last Christmas?”

The raven growled dangerously from where he stood, glowering at the crepes in the pan.

Hanji laughed at him. “Careful there, your stare might burn them.”

“Shut up.”

“Ahahaha!” She cackled over her shoulder at him, removing her glasses to wipe at her eyes as she turned back to Eren. “Ah, sorry, Eren. It feels like it’s been forever since I got to see him. But then again, it always does.” The woman finished with a shrug.

At last a short silence enveloped the room and Eren couldn't have been happier for it. But he knew better than to leave the next conversational topic to either of the others and spoke up.

“So the two of you are close?” Eren enquired.

Levi leaned back from the kitchen to deliver a curt ‘no’ which Hanji promptly ignored.

“Of course we are! Closer than close! Why, if I pinched myself I’m sure that Levi would feel the pain too! That’s how close we are.”

Levi held the spatula out in front of his face, trying harder than he should have needed to just to resist an almost overwhelming urge to smack himself repeatedly in the face with it.

Eren didn’t seem to pick up on the playfulness of Hanji’s words and he frowned. “Really?”

“No, you idiot.” The raven-haired man muttered with a frustrated sigh. “Just ignore her.”

The brown-haired woman blew a loud raspberry back at Levi and he rolled his eyes in response.

“Fine, I’ll try to behave just this once.” Hanji called back, turning to face Eren once again. “So…does my darling Levi treat you well?”

Eren nodded in response. “Well enough.”

A sly look entered the woman's eyes and Eren got an awful feeling that her next question wouldn't be so easy to answer.

“And was this relationship born out of a healthy fuck like all the rest of Levi’s relationships?”

Whatever he had been expecting, that had mostly definitely not been it. Eren choked on the breath he’d been taking, coughing awkwardly and staring over at Levi. The raven simply sent him a shrug.

“No…” The brunette managed to force the word out between dying coughs, clearing his throat and glancing back over to Levi, “but that’s news to me.”

“Oh?” Hanji's smile was oddly sympathetic as she sat back against the arm of the sofa. “You didn’t know that Lever back there was a regular seducer back in his day?” The brunette woman sent a cheeky smile back at Levi. “Shame on you, son.”

Eren risked a glance in Levi's direction and instantly regretted the decision. Apparently Hanji had mentioned something taboo in talking about Levi's past relationships.

The raven-haired man looked properly terrifying from where he stood. His eyes had narrowed down into slits, thin lips had drawn back in a nasty sneer and Eren could almost picture the metaphorical dark cloud hanging over the smaller male’s head.

For a split second he looked painfully familiar and Eren looked away, shutting his eyes tight until he heard Hanji laugh again.

“Eren? Aw, I think you scared him, Lever.”

“If anyone freaked him out, it was you and your shitty glasses. For God’s sake, clean them! They’re filthy!”

Teal eyes blinked open cautiously and the boy breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Oh hush, they’re fine. I can still see out of them, so there.” The woman reasoned with a triumphant grin before she waved her hands at the raven dismissively. “Anyway, quiet you. I’m still not done with Eren.”

Eren almost flinched when the woman spun around and leaned in; her eyes looked like they were trying to pry into his core.

Hanji kept a light tone, moving her hands as she spoke. “So tell me, Eren, what are some of your interests?”

Levi snickered suddenly from the kitchen, enticing both of the people on the couch to glance his way.

“What?” Hanji enquired, looking back at him. “What’s funny?”

“Oh nothing.” The raven chuckled, shaking his head and smirking as if at some great joke.

“Come on, don't be like that. Share with the class.” The brown-haired woman coaxed.

Levi's lip quirked up a little at the side and he exhaled in amusement. “I just remembered what Eren told me about his time in college.”

Eren frowned over at Levi from where he sat on the sofa, not having a single clue what the raven was talking about. He hadn't been to college, that strange place for further education that Eren had seen in Levi's memories. Why would Levi...oh.

A cover? Then why was he laughing?

“Eh? Eren’s a college boy?” Hanji voiced, sounding pleasantly surprised. A mischievous chuckle sounded and the woman grinned. “You really did steal him away, you cradle snatcher you!”

The raven clicked his tongue. “Hey, I’m not that old.”

If only Hanji knew...Levi was dating a creature so old that it didn't remember its own birth and here the woman thought that the raven was the cradle snatcher? The irony didn't fail to present itself to the smaller male.

The brown-haired woman seemed to be buying the little white lie. “Haha! So what do you study, Eren?”

The brunette blanched, sitting back and scrambling for some kind of answer.

“Um…I…”

“He was learning about the concept and practice of cannibalism.” Levi offered with a sly smirk sent Eren’s way.

Suddenly Levi’s plan became all too clear and Eren’s eyes narrowed. The raven was indeed making up some ludicrous backstory to feed to his friend, but he was having fun adding in elements of the truth. Twisting fact into believable fiction...clever, if dangerous. The brunette didn't like it one bit.

Eren's narrowing eyes did nothing to stop the raven's chuckling, nor did it deter Hanji from prying further in her excitement.

“Oh? That’s so cool!” The woman exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “I remember reading something about one of those ancient tribes who used to eat other people…it was way back when we were still in high school!” She looked to Eren. “I could lend you some notes if you like?”

Eren waved a hand in protest, putting on a small smile. “Oh no, I couldn’t possibly.”

“No, he’s a hard worker. Likes to figure things out for himself.” Levi continued to tease.

Teal eyes flashed over at him, but at the end of the day Eren would always let Levi have his fun.

“What else?” Hanji prompted, damned near bouncing where she sat.

Levi gave a nod, still smirking away. “He’s majoring in a Theology Degree.”

Okay, now Eren had no idea what Levi was talking about. With a huff and a pout, the brunette sank back into the sofa cushions and folded his arms.

“Wow, that’s so cool Eren!” Hanji shouted, waving her arms and nearly falling from the couch from her flailing. “I can’t believe that Levi snagged an actual intellectual! And you’re practically man candy, too.” More manic laughter sounded from the crazed woman but she eventually calmed enough to form words again. “You know, Eren, you should really talk to our friend, Erwin. He’s seen a lot of church architecture. He has spent lots of time in Europe, after all.”

Levi’s smirk faded instantly into a mild sneer. “I suppose he called and told you?” The raven glared at the stove.

“Yeah.”

All humour was gone from Hanji's tone and her smile left also, replaced with a sympathetic expression that Eren wished he didn't understand. Unfortunately the images of Levi's time with Erwin burned all too clearly behind his eyes.

The raven wore a dark expression as he tapped his fingers against the counter.

Eren didn’t like the look swimming in the smaller male’s eyes. “Levi..?” He called in a gentle voice.

“Hanj, leave the kid alone before he combusts.” The raven swiftly changed the subject, schooling his expression back into its usual mask of apathy.

Hanji let it slide without argument, instantly smiling again. “Aw, he’s fine. Look at him.”

Eren had only just opened his mouth to speak when Levi started talking again.

“He looks like he’s about to piss himself.”

If that was what Eren's face was communicating then maybe he ought to work on that.

Hanji let out a bark of laughter. “Pfft!”

“A-Am not!” The brunette sputtered indignantly.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head, Eren,” Hanji attempted to soothe, grinning a little too widely to be comforting, “from the smell of things, Levi’s nearly done with breakfast and I’m under a strict oath that does not permit me to talk with my mouth full so you’re safe for a while.”

“That’s goddamned right.” Levi spoke up from the kitchen, carrying out a stack of crepes. “I do not want a repeat of ’97.”

Eren had to ask. “What happened in ’97?”

Hanji was all too happy to explain.

“Oh, we were all out eating together at this nice little Chinese restaurant when Mike, in a rare moment of genius, told a joke. I can’t really repeat it…but at the time I had a mouth full of half-chewed fried rice and I couldn’t exactly hold it in when I laughed. Levi had the misfortune of sitting across the table from me and…I kind of spat rice in his face.”

Eren’s eyes blew wide and a hand crept across his mouth to hold in his own laughter at the mental image. He knew, one hundred and twelve percent, that if he laughed it would mean his death.

Hanji had no such self-control and she threw her head back, falling off the couch in her own howling fit of laughter.

Levi pointedly ignored the two of them, a fact that made Eren pout a little as he watched the raven trudge back and forth from the kitchen to the dining table carrying plates and cutlery.

His offer of help was turned down and the brunette sat wringing his hands anxiously while waiting for Levi to finish. Hanji was still laughing on the floor and, while she seemed like a total maniac, Eren couldn’t help but like her.

Breakfast passed rather quietly until Hanji had finally scarfed down her fill of the crepes. Even Eren ate that morning, after Levi's encouragement; neither of the men wanted to risk making Hanji suspicious.

Thankfully the woman seemed to have accepted the boy and deemed him an appropriate match for her friend. The woman even went so far as to suggest letting Eren meet some of their other friends.

“Oh come on, Levi. It would be great.”

“I will think about it.”

“That usually means no, but I'll take it!” The bespectacled woman grinned, helping the raven and Eren clear the table once they had finished eating.

The dishes were stacked and soon the trio were seated in the living room together on the couch. Hanji took it upon herself to sit between 'the lovebirds' as she now referred to them. The raven took it better than Eren did; the brunette curled up to sulk at the far end of the sofa while he listened to the others talk.

“You two should totally come over to my place.” The brown-haired woman announced, giving Levi a shove. “Moblit and I could make dinner, it’d be great! Levi, you will bring Eren over, won’t you?”

“No. No fucking way.” The smaller male argued, adamant in making his case. “I don’t trust anything inside that rancid kitchen of yours.”

The grinning woman didn't even bother to argue or defend her culinary skills; instead she gave a shrug of defeat.

“Aw. Well at least let me bring Mobi here?” Hanji bartered instead. “Pleeeease..?”

“…maybe.” Levi allowed, wincing at Hanji's excited scream.

“YAY!”

“Ugh. Inside voices, please.”

“Aw, don’t be such a downer.” The bespectacled woman laughed. “You’ve gotta learn to embrace life more, Levi! You know, Hakuna-Matata and all that?”

After spending the better part of the conversation in silence, the teal-eyed brunette at the end of the sofa sat up suddenly.

Eren frowned, looking to Hanji. “Who what now?”

The phrasing she had used made absolutely no sense to him, but Hanji looked at the boy like he was a toddler. It was most irksome.

After a short pause, the woman leaned a little closer. “Haven’t you ever seen the Lion King?”

Furrowing his brow further, Eren shook his head. “…no.”

“Well what have you seen? The Little Mermaid?”

“Uh…”

Hanji's face suddenly grew disbelieving and her jaw dropped. “Wait…don’t tell me that you haven’t seen any Disney movies?”

Eren rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly. “Well…”

Hanji let out a horrified scream. “This is terrible! I must remedy this at once!”

The woman dove for her bag where it sat by the door, rummaging wildly through it until she gave a cry of victory and pulled out a little red USB.

Eren peered over the back of the couch, still as confused as ever. “What’s that?”

“My emergency Disney collection.” The bespectacled woman announced as if that should explain every last mystery of the universe. “I keep it on me at all times, you know, for flights and stuff.” She shrugged and handed the USB over to Eren, placing it in his hands and curling the boy’s fingers around it like the object was made of gold. “Watch all of these. All of them! Oh, and make Levi watch them with you! You’re welcome.”

Levi’s face was a mix of dubious incredulity. “You carry Disney with you everywhere?”

“Of course.”

“What the fuck, Hanji? How is this the first time I’ve ever noticed?”

The woman looked at him with a deadly serious expression. “You never know when you’re going to need a USB full of Disney films.”

Levi rolled his eyes and shoved at her shoulder, sending the woman sprawling off the couch. “You’re an idiot.”

She laughed, climbing straight back up. “And yet I’m your friend.” Hanji challenged. “So doesn’t that make you the idiot for choosing to socialise with another moron like me?”

“Choose?” The raven-haired man uttered incredulously, flinging his arms into the air in exasperation. “I didn’t choose to have you come over and try to beat my door down. You just stomped in all over my day.”

“Well I’m sorry for imposing on your snuggle session with your amazing new bf.” The woman teased, sticking her tongue out at the raven. “But you can make up for it while we watch these!”

“No.” Levi shut his eyes tight and prayed that some sort of hole would open up in the floor and swallow him whole. Anything but what his friend was suggesting. “Dear God, please no.”

Hanji's evil burst of laughter told him everything he needed to know about her plans. The crazy woman had been trying to make the raven watch Disney with her for years.

“Ahahaha!” The brown-haired lady cried in victory. “Yes! At last I have the perfect excuse!”

“Christ help me.”

“Go on, get comfortable boys!” Hanji instructed as she got up to plug her USB into the television. “We're going to be here for a while.”

Levi pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled in a rush. “This is going to be a long day.”

 

It was a long day. The trio managed to fit in four whole movies with chatter and snack breaks in between. Hanji chose the films, selecting of course The Lion King so that she could explain her earlier quote, followed by The Little Mermaid because Eren had shown interest in the notion of talking sea creatures, moving right on to Aladdin and last but not least, Tarzan.

Hanji knew the words to every single song and Levi maintained a white-knuckled grip on his knees every time she felt inclined to sing along. The bespectacled woman cried in all four movies, much to the surprise of Eren, but the raven-haired man didn’t seem at all shocked by the display.

“For god’s sake wipe your nose, don’t just sniff it back. Disgusting. _Don’t use your sleeve you filthy maniac!_ ”

By the time Levi finally shoved Hanji out the door, literally shoved, the kitchen clock informed the two males that it was closing in on seven o'clock.

“Great...” Levi muttered to himself, “that's one day of my life I'll never get back.”

Even Eren looked worn out, curled up into a warm ball of limbs on the sofa. The raven decided then and there to call it a day, feeling as though the both of them had earned an early night. He didn't feel hungry after all the damned snacking on and off throughout the day and a shower could easily be put off until morning he supposed.

Coaxing a drowsy Eren off the couch proved to be more difficult than the raven anticipated and more than once he found himself being tugged down and wrapped in warm arms.

“Eren? Hey, brat, we can't sleep on the sofa.”

“Mmmph...”

“Oi, don't close your eyes. Dammit, Eren-”

“Just a little bit longer...” the boy mumbled, pleading, “I haven't held you all day.”

“You can do that all you want _after_ we make it to the bedroom.”

The brunette yawned, stretching out and forcing his eyes open. “...m'kay.”

The boy allowed Levi to get up and head towards the bedroom but Eren didn't bother with much more than crawling. He tumbled off the couch and dragged himself along the floor, flopping beside the bed.

“Tch. Don't, you'll give yourself carpet-burn.”

“Hmm...worried about me?”

“What do you think, genius?”

Levi had to drag Eren to the bathroom to get the brat to brush his teeth; it was the least effort they could go to considering the plan to skip showering until morning. Levi cringed at the thought but pushed it to the back of his mind, focusing on making sure that Eren remained upright on the way back to the bed.

The brunette let himself plop down against the mattress, landing on his back and bouncing a little from the force. Eren blinked sleepily at Levi where he stood at the end of the bed and the boy held his arms out for the smaller male.

Complying with the silent request, the raven crawled to him. Too tired to bother embarking on a quest for pyjamas, the raven peeled off everything but his boxers before doing the same for Eren and crept beneath the white sheets.

Curling together, Eren hummed in appreciation at the pleasant warmth he found as the raven tucked himself closer. The smaller male lay against Eren's chest, his head resting just below the brunette's chin, and the boy slid his arms about Levi's middle to keep him in place.

Just as teal eyes began to close and the heavy tug of unconsciousness threatened to drag him under, the brunette heard a quiet murmur in the dark.

“I swear...if you start singing any of those songs in your sleep...I will fucking smother you.”

Eren only laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The top note makes a lot of sense now, doesn’t it? XD  
> Anyway, I hope you all found that enjoyable. I’ve been dying to bring back Hanji because she’s just too much fun to write! Hopefully she’s fun to read as well. Next chapter…well, all I will say about it is ‘pastry’. Dwell on that for a moment.  
> Plotty things are on the horizon so look forward to that :)


	21. Learning Curve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I just realised that this story hit twenty + chapters O_O Never expected that to happen, wow. ^_^ I'm going to go celebrate, but for now here's chapter 21!  
> Some fluff, grocery shopping and baking. Seriously...all the baking.  
> Enjoy!

“All your insecurities, all the dirty laundry, never made me blink one time.” – Katy Perry, Unconditionally.

***

 

Grey eyes cracked open, blinking in the dim light. The windows were closed today and the blinds were drawn. It was gloomy, the perfect kind of light to wake up to.

Once again, Eren lay beside the raven already awake and smiling. Everything was in place and Levi stretched, feeling perfectly content to lie there a while longer.

Although the sudden cheeky flare in teal eyes should have tipped the raven off that something wasn't quite right. And then Eren took a breath and open his mouth to speak. Only the brat didn't speak...he sang.

“I can show you the woooooorrld-”

“Argh!”

 

Never in a million years would Levi Ackerman have picked himself as the kind of person to start a pillow fight. However, after the morning's events, he could no longer safely claim that.

One line into the song and Levi had lunged at the brunette with a growl. Somewhere in between the leap and the moment when he actually captured a squealing Eren in one arm, Levi had managed to get a hold of his pillow and the rest was history.

Now as the two lay panting and trying to recover their breath, Eren couldn't seem to stop himself from giggling.

“Brat,” Levi huffed, dragging in another breath, “just shut it before I consider walloping you again.”

Eren tried, he really did try to control his laughter, but each time the boy thought he was close to being calm the sound would bubble its way back out of his mouth.

And thus the second pillow fight of the day was initiated.

It ended when an excitable Eren managed to pin the raven-haired man to the bed, capturing his wrists and holding them above the smaller male's head. There was an undeniably victorious glimmer held in lazy teal eyes and at any other time Levi might have indulged the boy and let him have his way.

But it was still early and the raven could feel a thin sheen of sweat clinging to his brow from the earlier tussle. Besides, Levi didn't kiss first thing after waking up. Morning breath was a bitch.

“Okay, I draw the line at gross and sweaty in the morning.” Levi grimaced, shifting under the brunette perched atop his stomach. “Up, now. I'm washing these sheets and then we are showering.”

Blue-green orbs swam with languid amusement. “Oh?”

It was clear, all too clear, what the boy wanted. But the raven-haired man had never been one to give in so easily.

“No, none of that.” He chastised, mustering a glower, “I just want to be clean.”

It was very worth the blank mask to make Eren pout like that and the raven prided himself on his ability to keep a straight face.

With a reluctant sigh, Eren released the raven's wrists and rolled off of him, hauling himself off the bed when Levi prodded at his shoulder.

“Oi, I said get up.”

“I'm going, geez.”

The bed was stripped and the sheets were thrown into the washing machine. Eren watched from the floor as Levi remade the bed with fresh sheets, amused by the smaller man's need for order with absolutely every aspect of his life except his partner it seemed.

Everything about the brunette screamed chaos and Eren was certain that Levi could sense that. Yet for some reason the raven had elected to keep him and for that the boy chose not to question his luck.

Sheets in the washing machine and bed re-made, Levi headed straight for the bathroom with the brunette following right behind him. True to his word, the only thing that Levi touched in the shower was the soap; although he did seem to be thoroughly amused by Eren's sulking. The boy didn’t try anything, standing in one corner and pouting slightly as he washed shampoo from his hair. Levi only smirked, stepping out and grabbing a towel. He could feel the brunette’s eyes follow after him and by the time Levi was hanging up his towel again the water shut off behind him.

“Chin up, brat,” the raven chuckled, tapping two fingers under the boy's chin as Eren dried off, still sulking, “it's still early, who knows what could happen...”

Levi sauntered out of the bathroom to look for clothes, knowing full well that he was a bastard for strutting out the way he did. It would be worth every second if it meant getting Eren flustered. The sound of splashing water sounded and a glance over his shoulder told Levi that his plan was a success. Eren stood bent over the sink dousing his face in cold water frantically, red to the tips of his ears.

The raven chuckled and went to find something to wear. He settled on dark jeans and a Motionless In White t-shirt Levi had bought as a souvenir from the last concert he had been to.

By the time Eren emerged from the bedroom, dried and dressed at last, Levi was out in the kitchen finishing a glass of orange juice. The raven leant against the counter; sly eyes appraising the boy’s chosen attire.

Faded skinny-jeans and a sky-blue and white baseball shirt. Not bad, in fact the attire lent Eren a college boy look, but did it really take the kid ten minutes just to pull on a shirt and some pants? Or had he honestly been calming himself down over the show Levi had made leaving the bathroom? Sometimes the kid really was too precious.

Teal eyes met cheeky grey and Eren knew something was coming. But knowing never really prepared him for anything that the raven had to throw his way, and this was just the same.

Thin lips curved into a quick smirk. “What? Did you stop to jerk off or something?”

“I-I didn't-” the manner in which Eren sputtered told Levi that he had enough of an idea to know what Levi meant, “no! I was just...dissuading myself from that urge.”

Levi took a playfully suspicious sip of his juice. “Okay, brat, whatever you say.” The raven began, folding his arms across his chest and arching a brow. “What's the plan for today?”

Eren watched the way the light caught the metal of the ring in Levi's brow, glinting silver when he moved to throw his head back and down the last of the drink.

The boy blinked. “You're just going to let me decide?”

The empty glass was set down with a dull clink and pushed along the counter towards the sink.

“No, I have plans of my own,” Levi replied, giving a shrug, “but I thought I'd let you throw in your ideas and maybe we can compromise.”

The brunette considered the proposition and gave a single nod. “Seems fair.”

In all honesty, Eren didn't have a plan. The boy hadn't bothered with planning ahead when he had demanded that Levi remain at home. Planning was for the other side and he was not there. All the brunette wanted was to be around his human, whatever that meant they ended up doing. He didn't voice that particular fact, however. In the end, the boy shrugged.

“Nothing?” Levi interpreted, his eyebrow rising impossibly higher. “Well that's typical. Suits me though. I have to do some filming today, so I guess I'll get that out of the way first. Then we'll see if we can't think of something. Sound good?”

“Mm.”

Breakfast came and went; Levi made waffles and even let Eren try them much to the boy's delight. Even if the brunette didn't strictly need food, Levi was discovering that he rather enjoyed spoiling the kid almost as much as the boy enjoyed being spoiled. It was easily worth a little extra effort if he got to see that radiant smile light up Eren's face.

Levi worked on his videos until eleven o’clock; a solid three hours since the two males had woken up, and decided to check over his emails before shutting down his laptop.

More stupid lol-cat pictures from Hanji and a few questions from students. But then, a little ways down, Levi spotted a familiar email. A contact from work, specifically his boss.

He clicked on the message, reading over the short paragraph and sighed.

“Ah, fuck.”

The brunette peeped over his shoulder. “What is it?”

Levi rubbed at the back of his neck. “I'm going to have to break your ban on leaving the house.”

The raven-haired man waited for the suspicion, the relentless questioning that always came when promises couldn't be kept. He waited for the anger that had accompanied all his previous relationships when things started to take a turn for the worst.

All the brunette did was make a small sound of complaint and roll onto his stomach on the couch, crawling closer.

“Why?” Eren pouted, resting his chin atop the raven's head.

So far no anger, things were looking up.

Levi spoke his next words carefully, hoping that the boy would understand why his little game had to end. “Mike needs me to come in and do a session tomorrow. He's my boss.”

The silence that followed was only short and not loaded with the usual heaviness that quiet usually brought along.

“Oh?” Eren piped up again, his voice sounded...cheery. “That sounds interesting.”

“You're not upset?”

“No, it's not like I can stop you from going to work.” The brunette said, then smirked a little. “Well...I could. But that would make me a bad sport.”

“Right.” Levi murmured in agreement, reaching out to flick his fingers under the brat's chin.

Eren gave a pleased little hum, nipping at the long digits before they were pulled back. “So what will I be doing while you're off kicking people's faces in?”

Levi gave a snort, half-turning to smirk up at the boy. “That's not what I do.”

“That's what it looks like in your videos.” Eren said with a shrug.

“Whatever. You will be staying here.”

“Awwww! But Leviiiiiii!”

The boy whined and complained until he was pulled off the couch and kissed into silence. By the time the two males broke apart to gasp for air, Eren finally had an idea to contribute to their day plan.

Levi had already jumped up to pack away his gear, disappearing into the bedroom.

“Let's go somewhere!” The boy suggested, calling over his shoulder and still panting for breath.

“Hmm?” Levi hummed in query as he re-emerged from putting his equipment away. “Stop with the heavy breathing, kid, or I'll have to have you right here.” The raven said through a breathless chuckle, speaking again before the brat could get any ideas. “Where do you have in mind?”

The brunette shrugged, not really caring. “I don't know. Just out.”

“Just out, huh?” The raven smirked a little at the kid's enthusiasm. “Why don't we go to the supermarket? That classifies as 'out'. Plus I need eggs.”

“Why?”

“Because I've decided that today is a baking day.” Levi stated with a shrug of his own. “Consider yourself lucky, brat; I don't get the urge often.”

Eren looked unsure, like he didn't know what to do with the raven's words.

“Are you...baking for me?”

Levi's lips curved into a half-smile on one side and he sighed. “I guess I am.”

Levi very rarely put aside a whole day for just cooking. The last time he had done so had been for one of Hanji's fund-raisers. The raven had spent all day and half of the night making all kinds of food for her to sell. Hanji had collected it in the morning but all Levi recalled was that one moment the food was there and the next it was gone.

Surmising that he must have fallen asleep, Levi brushed the mystery aside and moved on with his life. Even Hanji could be stealthy when she needed to be.

The two males pulled on shoes and headed out of the house to begin the walk down to the supermarket. It was cheaper than going to the markets, and also a little bit closer to home as it sat just a couple of blocks before Sina Square.

The journey there was filled with light-hearted chatter and bickering over the plot of The Little Mermaid. It was an argument that Levi endured only because he thought it was priceless to hear a demonic fiend defend the idea that animals could talk and somewhere in the oceans there could be people with fins. It really was too good an opportunity to pass up.

 

Eggs, Eren learned, were not just a simple thing to buy for the raven. Not because there weren't any around, oh no, there was a whole damned shelf of them, but because Levi had to go through and check every carton that caught his eye.

After the third inspection, Eren began to grow restless and impatient.

“What are you doing?” The boy enquired when he couldn't keep quite any longer.

There had to be a good reason for all this delay, the brunette was sure. Levi paused in his task just long enough to incline his head in the boy's direction and reply.

“Checking the eggs.” The raven answered simply, examining the carton.

Checking the eggs. Of course, why wouldn't you check every damned egg you came across?

Eren groaned. “But why? They're fine.”

“Hey, I'm a picky guy. Shut up and get used to it.”

The brunette let out a longwinded sigh and stuffed his hands into his pockets, glancing idly about the aisles. There wasn't a hell of a lot that a demon could use to entertain himself with in crowded public places such as this. It was a damned shame. All the brunette could settle for was observing the other customers that passed them by.

A few women smiled at him and he smiled back, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the rush of giggles that always followed. Apparently standing a few centimetres away from one's partner was not close enough to communicate that one was in fact off the market. Maybe he needed to fix that, put an arm around the raven or hell, even kiss him right here? Although the more he thought about it...the more that idea would probably result in his dismemberment via the same raven-haired man. Levi had been very clear about his disdain for public displays of affection. A pity, really, for Eren was quite the exhibitionist when he got the chance.

Deciding that it was best to let the smaller man be, Eren returned to his watch.

His eyes landed on a mean looking child, probably ten years old, who was aiming a moody death glare Eren's way. The brunette's eyebrows shot skyward at the blatant display of hostility and he wondered what he had done to earn the child's hateful stare.

The look was unmistakably aimed at him; there was no one else around unless it was actually Levi that the little tyke had it in for. That seemed unlikely as the tiny brat's eyes met and held Eren's own surprised gaze.

The brunette wondered if the kid was having a gut feeling that Eren wasn't normal. It wouldn't be the first time that a child had been right about this sort of thing. Children were incredible judges of character...it was a real pity that adults didn't make use of that unlikely skill more often. More than once the teal-eyed demon had steered clear of a youngster's curious gaze.

It was a little late for it in this case; the tiny fucker had already spotted him and grown suspicious. But it didn't matter what this grumpy little twerp thought, Eren looked normal and no adult would believe any yarn the brat might try to spin about him.

When the kid's frown only got worse, Eren stuck his tongue out at the child, loving the surprised look it got in reaction.

At last the little twit looked away...but now Eren was feeling spiteful. Never provoke a spiteful creature with time on his hands.

The brunette lifted the lid of one of the many egg cartons sitting on the shelf beside him and picked out a sizeable specimen. Tossing the oval a few times to get a feel for the weight of the object, Eren took a quick glance to make sure that nobody was looking in his immediate direction, took aim and threw the egg with such speed that he had his hands back in his pockets even before the sound of a wet crunch met his ears.

Risking a glance over his shoulder, Eren nearly snorted at the furious looking kid with yoke running down his tiny face. The frown really didn't do anything for the brat, all scrunched up in rage and turning red with anger. Apparently torn between shouting and crying, the kid settled for making no noise at all and instead looked about for his attacker.

Little eyes widened when they spotted Eren smirking right in front of the rest of the eggs and the child joined the dots, mustering a scowl again.

Eren picked up another egg. The kid started to open his mouth, probably to start screaming and whining or call his mother, but an egg to the face shut him up quicker than the little twerp could blink. It hit him in the forehead with a crunch and a splat.

Having witnessed the event firsthand, the child wasn't quite sure what to think. One second the brown-haired man had been holding an egg, the next the egg was gone and in the kid's face instead...but it had happened so fast, too quickly for the child's mind to comprehend. And then the kid started crying.

“Oh, now I've done it.” Eren chuckled under his breath.

Levi turned around when the brunette by his side started to snicker around about the same time a little brat somewhere started to scream his head off with tears. Raising an eyebrow, the raven narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“Eren.”

“Hmm?”

“What were you doing just now?”

Eren laughed a little, covering his mouth with a hand to muffle the sound before answering. “Just...checking the eggs...”

The brunette shook slightly with the effort it took to keep in his laughter, teal eyes flickering over to the crying child every few seconds only to glimmer with amusement and flick back.

Levi watched the boy for a moment before his blank face lifted with a little smirk.

“Little shit.” He chuckled, reaching over to tweak the brat's ear. “Nobody likes a show-off. Just don't get caught.”

Eren gave a happy little hum, helping to carry the groceries along when the raven finally chose two cartons of eggs that he was happy with.

Levi ended up buying a lot more than just eggs. Milk, flour and a whole lot of butter were just some of the extra items that the raven-haired man added to the basket Eren ended up carrying. Not that he minded in the slightest, if it meant that he could watch Levi strutting along ahead of him.

Eren particularly enjoyed the look on the crying twerp's face after he got a good look at the raven. The mean scowl, piercings glinting silver in the harsh white of synthetic lights and the t-shirt that not only showed off the raven's tattoos but also his incredible form; all together at once the image was enough to send the little brat running for his mommy.

So far the day wasn't panning out to be all that bad.

 

The sun was high in the sky as the pair returned to the apartment complex with the new food and the time was a little after midday. Probably around twelve-thirty, Eren guessed as he followed the raven up the stairs.

The brunette held all the bags while the smaller man unlocked the door to let them back inside.

“Eren?” Levi called over his shoulder, locking the door after the boy had come through.

The brunette paused by the dining table. “Yep?”

“Drop that stuff on the counter and wash your hands, you're going to help.”

That was not an expected statement and for a moment Eren couldn't quite form words as he processed the sentence. Levi wanted him to help with cooking, like he wasn't worried that the kid might accidentally light the place on fire.

Eren shook his head to clear it, breaking out of the brief reverie. “Uh...okay but...can I get changed first?”

It was an odd way of putting his request, but Eren wasn't really sure how else to say it. In a way, he would be changing...so it wasn't a completely wasted term.

“Changed? Your clothes are fine.” Levi frowned his confusion, looking back at Eren and pausing as understanding lit his eyes. “Oh...you mean your form?”

The brunette fidgeted a little, twisting his foot anxiously. Levi came closer until he was standing in front of the boy. Stretching up, the raven dabbed their mouths together in a soft peck.

“Go on then.” He murmured. “I'll take care of these.”

The raven took the bags from Eren's arms, watching as the beaming brunette bounded off and out of the door again, presumably to take form in the hallway or maybe even the basement.

Levi carried the groceries to the counter and started unpacking, glancing up at the clock to take a guess at where Eren had decided to make the change. After five minutes had gone by and everything lay unpacked on the counter in front of him, the raven had his decision made. Definitely the basement. It was the safest option, he supposed, and no one would really question a new addition to the black tire marks on the floor. Granted, a burnt black patch might look a little worrisome, but hopefully no one would notice.

When the front door opened again Levi was just coming back out of the bathroom, having relieved himself, and he almost smiled at the sight that waited around the corner.

Eren stood by the dining table, pointed ears and teeth, long tail and burning eyes, the works. No fire this time, thank fuck, which also meant no burnt carpet. The brunette perked up when he saw the raven come into the living room, a small smile curving his lips. The boy's tail began to swish from side to side, and even without that tell-tale sign the raven could tell that Eren was happy.

Happy but anxious as he usually got after a transformation. The thought seemed silly to the raven, after all this was only the second time that Eren had bothered to reveal his true form. Levi wondered if the boy’s mouth hurt this time. If it did, Eren was putting on a brave face.

The smaller male padded over to the brunette, reaching up to run a hand through the boy's hair, ruffling it in an affectionate display. The dark locks were a little longer in this form, the raven realised. It wasn't hugely noticeable if you weren't looking for it, but the subtle difference was there.

Eren leaned into the touch, nuzzling the raven's hand. Brilliant blue-green orbs flickered up, holding the gaze of lazy grey pools. There was a question held in those eyes, ready on the brunette's tongue, but he remained quiet.

Levi rolled his eyes playfully at the kid. “If you've got something to say, then say it. You'll only live to regret it if you don't.”

The boy winced, not used to being so easily read. But he sighed and ducked his head, words coming out in a quiet murmur.

“Do you still like me...like this?”

Levi saw Eren's lips move with the question, heard his voice, and the answer was off his tongue in a second.

“Of course I do.”

He did, without a doubt. Eren was Eren, no matter the changes. It was the person he cared for, the character, not solely the boy's appearance. And while Eren's demon form was something that Levi was still adjusting to, it wasn't unwelcome. Not at all.

The brunette didn't seem so convinced, keeping his head down and his eyes low.

“Would you still have me this way?” Eren asked, glancing up at last with uncertain eyes. “Do you still want me?”

Levi couldn't stop the frown that formed on his face, not because the answer to Eren's question was a bad one, but because the brat felt the need to ask something like that at all. The raven had known exactly what Eren was when he first decided to take the next step and take their relationship into physical territory. He hadn't regretted it yet. Using the hand that was still locked in the brunette's hair, Levi pulled the boy's head down until their noses touched.

The move was unexpected and Eren's eyes had blown wide open, staring straight into grey eyes as rough as storm clouds, and just as fierce.

“Eren...” Levi's voice was soft, barely more than a whisper against the brunette's lips. “Do I really need to answer that?”

The words swam inside the boy's head and Eren's shaky breath was lost to the gentle press of the raven's mouth. The brunette's lips trembled into the kiss, soft and somehow more passionate than any before that. It was too much and not enough and all Eren could do was let the raven hold him.

Levi pulled back with a sigh, brows pulling together at the sight of the glistening wet clinging to the brunette's lashes.

“Don't you dare cry on me.” The raven ordered, sounding more concerned than his words might have suggested.

Eren just sniffed, looking away. “Why? What could a few tears matter?”

“Because I wouldn't know what to do.” The raven admitted through a soft huff of a laugh, tapping two fingers under the brunette's chin when the kid looked back at him in surprise.

Eren managed a little smile, leaning in until their foreheads bumped together gently. It was a pleasant moment, one of those times where words didn’t have to be said. Unfortunately the raven had never been particularly good at moments of such emotional significance and Levi couldn't keep quiet for more than half a minute before he had to diffuse the steadily intensifying atmosphere.

“Ah fuck...look at us. We've turned into saps.”

The brunette's tiny smile curved into something content and he exhaled through his nose. “Heaven forbid.”

“Heh.” The raven gave a breathy chuckle, shaking his head at the irony of Eren's statement. “Come on, Eren. It's about time you learned about proper food.”

 

Eren was amazed that he was even allowed to come near to the kitchen, let alone be physically dragged into it by an insistent raven.

“Come on, brat.”

“A-Are you sure?”

“Yes. Just don't touch the flour and you'll be fine.”

Maybe Levi wasn't feeling well, maybe this was the sickness that he had told Eren about, because not only did the raven willingly bring the brunette into the kitchen but he also asked if the boy wanted to help. Well...ask might not be the right word. More accurately, Levi told Eren that he would be helping.

“Why do I-”

“Because if you're going to live here, you might as well know how to cook.”

“But-”

“No buts.” Levi turned his eyes on the brunette, pupils narrowed. “I am teaching you how to make pastry. Goodnight, full stop, end of story.”

Heaving a sigh, the boy relented. “Okay.”

 

Cooking actually wasn't so bad, in fact the hands-on element was almost fun. Eren had always been a physical creature, so this sort of thing made sense quicker than it might should the brunette attempted reading instructions from a book.

Watching Levi's actions closely, Eren followed and copied until he got the right ratio of ingredients. Levi didn't even seem to mind the first two batches that didn't go so well, probably because they were still salvageable with a little added flour and butter.

“You're not making a cake, the dough can't be too soft, Eren.”

“Right.”

While Eren rolled out the pastry into sheets to go into the refrigerator, Levi brought out jam and chocolate from the pantry.

“What's that for?” The brunette enquired, leaning over to catch a glance.

“Filling.” The raven replied. “It goes inside the pastry.”

“Oh.”

The sheets were laid together with a sheet of baking paper to separate and placed into the fridge. To pass the time it would take for the pastry to firm up, the raven whipped up a batch of brownies and even a butter cake.

“I hope you know that you're the one who's going to be eating most of this.” Levi muttered over his shoulder, tipping the contents of a bowl into the cake tin that Eren had prepared for him.

The brunette raised his eyebrows, lips parting in surprise. “Me?”

“Well duh. I don't have _that_ big of a sweet tooth.” The raven-haired man said with a little smirk, shrugging a moment later. “Plus I'd like to keep my figure the way it is now. Something tells me that you won't have the same problem.”

True enough, Eren could probably consume a whole banquet single-handedly and not have any problems.

“I see. Thank you.”

The day continued, passing by at a leisurely crawl.

It took hours to get everything prepared and placed in the appropriate tins and trays, mixing the cake, folding the pastry sheets into croissants and filling them with chocolate or jam. The smells that filled the apartment were nothing short of mouth-watering and Eren bounced eagerly about the place as he waited for everything to be finished.

The raven cleaned up the kitchen to pass the time, washing dishes and wiping down every surface while the brat sat out on the balcony enjoying the afternoon breeze. Eren made sure not to be noticed, keeping to his seat and simply sitting for once watching the rest of the world go by.

Children ran about playing in the park; even from this far off Eren could hear their voices. A few joggers passed by on the pavement below, ear buds dangling and breathing picking up. A dog broke away from its owner, barking up at Levi's building until it was finally towed away by a confused keeper.

Eren sneered after the furry creature, hissing spitefully over the railing. Damned creatures and their keen senses. A called question from Levi had him murmuring reassurances through the open glass door.

An hour passed.

Levi was thoroughly surprised with how well the brunette behaved when the food had to be left to cool after coming out of the oven, pouting a little but otherwise not complaining.

“Eren? We can eat now.”

 

Eren had never felt so thoroughly spoiled in his entire existence.

The food was laid out on the counter, some still cooling and others right to eat. Levi lent against the counter with Eren behind him, arms looped about the raven's waist. The boy let his chin rest on Levi's shoulder, humming as the smaller male supported their weight with one arm and fed Eren with his free hand.

The brunette had made no secret of his surprise that Levi could cook so well, not even minding the kick it had earned him. Everything tasted absolutely divine and the pastries all but melted in the mouth.

Perfection in edible form, there was no other way that Eren could describe it. But the food wasn’t the only thing that had the brunette in high spirits.

Levi didn’t once reprimand him or say that he was being too sloppy. The raven was unbelievably docile, all smooth edges for once. It was weird.

Eren couldn’t help but voice his thoughts. “You’re being awfully nice to me…” The brunette stated, watching Levi stab another piece of cake with the fork in his hand.

“I'm allowed to spoil my lover, aren't I?” The raven challenged, smirking at the pink that dusted itself across Eren's cheeks at the term. Levi raised the fork again, holding it out for the boy. “More?”

“Please.”

“Well fuck me sideways, look who finally learned some manners?” The raven-haired man chuckled, giving a wry smirk as he set the fork down again.

Eren swallowed quickly and ducked his head to hide his smile, burying his face against the smaller male's shoulder and nuzzling the skin. Levi reached back to run his free hand through the boy’s hair, tugging fondly.

“But...” The raven added after a moment, “I suppose it's also because I feel a bit guilty leaving you alone tomorrow.”

“Aw!” Eren's head came up and he laughed, holding the raven tighter. “Hanji was right; you do have a soft side.”

“Don't you dare tell her.” Levi glared back at the boy, eyes narrowing. “Or anyone for that matter. I have a reputation to uphold.”

The brunette scoffed out a laugh. “What? For being a grumpy bastard that'll kick your face in?”

A cheeky glimmer lit grey eyes and Levi smirked. “Oh yes.”

 

It took far less time than expected for the two males to eat their way through most of the food and after wrapping up the leftovers and stuffing them into the fridge, the pair flopped onto the sofa.

Levi groaned, clutching at his belly. “Euh...I never want to eat again.”

Eren only scoffed at him, reaching over to give his shoulder a lazy shove. “You only had a little.”

The raven didn’t even try to correct his balance, letting the shove unbalance him and falling sideways onto the cushions with a small sound of complaint. “Maybe that looked like a little for you...but I've never eaten so much in my life!”

“Poor baby.” The brunette snickered a little, tugging at the smaller male’s ankle.

Levi made a face, rolling onto his back and squeezing his eyes shut. “Listen...” the raven began, swallowing and cracking an eye open to look at the kid, “if you have some weird demon trick that can make my stomach stop trying to kill me from the inside...now would be a good time to use it.”

“Well I don't know about that...” Eren laughed, reaching over to haul the smaller man back up into a seated position, “but I could probably help with the pain in another way.”

“Oh?” Grey eyes shone silver in the light as curious orbs swivelled over to look at the brat.

“Mm.” The boy smiled at him, an adoring shine in his eyes.

“Go for your life.” Levi muttered, waving a hand dismissively and gesturing to himself. “I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”

The brunette pulled Levi back against him, wrapping the smaller male up in his arms. Careful not to touch the man's stomach, Eren slipped a hand beneath the raven's shirt and placed his palm over Levi’s heart, letting his arm rest over the smaller male's chest.

It didn't make the man's stomach stop aching but the warm hug along with the gentle butterfly kisses Eren trailed over whatever skin he could reach were enough to make the raven ache in a whole other way. His chest tightened and Levi tilted his head back to rest against the taller male's shoulder.

Too many feelings were floating about in the raven’s mind, constricting in his chest as he allowed himself to be comforted. Content to the point where it almost hurt, Levi almost didn’t want the boy’s sweet gesture. Such an innocent way to sooth, the reality was beginning to dawn on the smaller male as he realised just how far he was letting himself fall. He hadn’t been ready before and he didn’t feel ready now…but it was already too late. Too late to build up his defences, to take back feelings and kisses too soft, too gentle not to have meant something more than mere physical attraction.

Through his distress, the raven noticed an odd warm tingling barely strong enough to be felt until he focused on it. The sensation came from beneath the brunette’s hand where it lay on the smaller male’s chest, emitting a subtle glow of white-blue light from under Eren’s palm.

“No pain-killer demon magic, huh?” The raven murmured, feeling drowsy all of a sudden. “Liar.”

Eren only smiled, his eyes still closed as he lent their heads together. “I had to distract you before the magic could work.”

“Hoh?” The sound came out like a question and grey eyes flickered open for a moment. “Like pinching your arm to make a headache seem less intense?”

The brunette exhaled through his nose sharply; it was an amused sound. “Kind of.”

“Heh.” A breathy laugh slipped through smiling lips and the raven nestled closer. “Thanks, brat.”

It was simple magic, one of the few types Eren could control that didn’t cause chaos. By clouding the mind, the brunette could trick Levi’s body into its sleep mode and take his mind’s focus away from any discomfort caused by their feast of sweets.

As Levi fell more under the sleeping spell Eren cast, the pair moved into the bedroom. The brunette was nothing if not attentive and he clearly recalled the raven’s dislike when it came to sleeping on the sofa.

When Levi started to come to, he was already wrapped up in Eren’s arms, back to chest in a cocoon of warmth.

There was something so gratifying in the simple act of holding another. Sharing warmth and bringing comfort and security to one another.

Eren's grip on Levi slackened gradually as the boy drifted ever closer to sleep, but a simple shifting movement or brush of fingertips could rouse the brunette and bring back the firm hold. One of Eren's arms was wedged underneath the raven to curl about his waist with his hand spread against Levi's abdomen. The other arm was tucked under the raven's own limb to cross over his chest, and his hand splayed out over the smaller male's heart. It was a little trait, sweet at first glance, but one that Levi had noticed the boy had done several times before.

The reason was lost on the raven, but he guessed that perhaps it was a way that Eren could monitor him.

In truth, the boy was comforted by the steady rhythm of Levi's heartbeat. While he could feel it beneath his palm, the raven was alive and breathing, safe. It was an enormous relief.

Eren could mimic the human condition, synthesise a pulse, but Levi could perform no such trickery. It was the honesty of the human heartbeat that the brunette liked. A pulse could tell you anything; lies caused it to beat faster, fear made the heart beat harder, passion created an erratic beat...it was primal truth, pure and simple.

But while he slept, all Eren really wanted was to make sure that Levi slept soundly as well. Warm and secure in the arms of someone he cared for; Eren hoped that it would be enough to drive both of their nightmares away.

Even if only for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a hell of a lot of plot in that, I know, but it's coming. Soon I hope :p  
> Next chapter, Levi goes back to work for a day. What will Eren do to keep himself entertained while his human is away? I wonder...


	22. For Old Time's Sake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day? Why not!  
> Levi returns to work for a day.  
> Enjoy!

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” – Lewis Carroll.

***

 

Cold. The bed was already cold by the time Eren opened his eyes, for once having slept longer than the raven. Levi hadn’t bothered to wake him up to say goodbye, letting the boy sleep.

Eren sat up, rubbing his eyes and stretching. He sighed.

This was going to be a long and lonely day.

The teal-eyed boy hauled himself lazily from the bed, getting shakily to his feet. A brief flash of silver caught his eye and Eren noticed that Levi’s piercings had been removed and left on the vanity. The brunette could just barely recall what the raven-haired man looked like without the accessories. He stretched his legs, walking over to the dresser and reaching out to trace a finger along one of the silver rings, letting slip a sigh before padding into the bathroom and shedding his pyjamas. The hot sting of the shower snapped him into full consciousness with a groan and the boy sighed, letting his muscles relax. He was adjusting well to the raven’s routine and style of living but it felt strange not to have the surly-looking man around, especially so early.

After re-emerging from the bathroom in search of clothes, Eren sneaked a glance at the alarm clock and his eyebrows rose. The little blue block numbers read 10:37AM.

Oh…not so early then?

Without much else to do, the brunette wandered about the apartment for a while, watched the TV until he had surfed every channel and even hung around on the balcony for a bit before he was forced to face the truth.

He was bored. Bored and hungry, never a good combination. But with no one around to entertain him or tell him no, the boy dropped from the balcony, landing in a crouch on the ground, and headed off in search of his meal for the day.

Ducking down the nearest alley he could find, Eren switched forms and took on his human guise.

“Run, run, run, as fast as you can…”

 

The walk to work was turned into a run today and Levi considered the jog to be as good a warm-up as any. He wore simple clothes, nothing fancy, and carried a bag over one shoulder that held the more comfortable clothes he would put on to teach. Jeans were great, but they didn’t exactly allow the range of movement required for the raven’s field of work.

Cold air burned in his lungs with every breath, the kind of raw refreshment that Levi hadn’t felt in quite some time. Soon enough the raven was pushing at the big green doors of Sina Dojo, calling a passing greeting to Nifa at the desk. The girl smiled brightly, seeming far more chipper than usual as she returned the greeting.

Weird. Leave a place for a few weeks and suddenly everyone acts like a goddamned happy family. Levi went straight for the changing rooms, switching into black sweats and a simple white tank top. The kids had never seemed to mind the raven’s imposing appearance; in fact Levi was sure that he had seen Petra blush more than once when he chose to show off a bit of skin.

It was still too early for the session but the raven-haired man abhorred being late. Instead he came in ahead of time to get warmed up and harass his employers. True to that little tradition, Levi headed straight for Mike’s office when the enormous blonde man caught his gaze through the window. Stowing his bag away into one of the staff lockers, the raven strode over. His first words were already on his tongue as the door was shut.

“Alright, I’m here. Now can I have an explanation for the sudden request of my presence?” Levi leaned against the door, folding his arms loosely. “I thought we cleared this? Aren’t I supposed to be avoiding this place? Wasn’t that the whole point of taking leave?”

“Hello to you too, Levi.” Mike murmured, taking his seat again. The man’s eyes gleamed with concealed humour, that twinkling light remained the only key on the man’s face that revealed he was amused at all. “How have you been coping?”

“Just. Fine. Thank you.” Each word rolled off the raven’s tongue with precise articulation, punctuating with a pause in between.

The giant of a man didn’t seem to mind the raven’s clipped tone, giving a small nod. “Has Hanji called?”

“Hanji? She was over just the other day.” Levi frowned, arching an eyebrow. “Why?”

A quiet exhale of a laugh sounded from the blonde man sitting before him at the desk. “If she hasn’t told you, then I’m going to assume it’s a surprise.”

Gunmetal eyes narrowed. “Oh?”

“Mm. But let’s not get too involved in that sidenote.” The blonde dismissed with a little wave. “You were ranting about something?”

Levi watched the taller man lean his elbows on the desk, clasping his fingers together and perching his chin atop them. The blonde's eyes regarded him, waiting.

“Wow.” The raven muttered after a moment. “Aren’t you supposed to be the subtle one?”

Mike actually smirked at that, just a tiny twitch at one corner of his mouth. “Let’s talk about work, shall we?” The blonde uttered, steering the conversation back into safe waters. “Your students are more attached than you think. I’ve had so many questions; everyone wants to know when you’ll be back.”

Levi continued to glare suspiciously. Mike was keeping something from him…and he didn’t like it. Not one little bit. Something told the raven that whatever this secret was…it wasn’t being kept out of spite or negative cause. But even so, Levi had never been a fan of secrets. Or surprises.

Especially not when Hanji was involved.

But he let it slide with a longwinded sigh. “Well a little more notice would have been nice. I’ve kind of had my hands full lately.”

“Oh? With what?”

There was no mistaking the underlying air of playfulness to Mike's tone, buried beneath simple curiosity. It was enough to make the raven purse his lips in thought.

Levi raised his head in a little defiant tilt. “…stuff.”

“Right.” The taller man chuckled, actually looking at the raven properly.

No sidelong glances, no peripheral monitoring, but actual direct eye contact.

Mike had a very intense, piercing gaze that Levi would vouch could see through anything. Coupled with a killer intuition, there wasn't much that the giant of a man couldn't find out. It was downright unnerving. After a moment of silence the raven figured that their conversation was over and he pushed off the door, making to leave.

“By the way…” Mike spoke up again, waiting for Levi to look back at him before he continued, “who’s your friend?”

Levi blinked; half-turning his body back towards the blonde. “What friend?”

“The one you left in bed this morning to come here?”

The raven-haired man paused, the breath of air he had taken in catching in his throat.

Oh. Oh damn. Levi had seen Mike read people before and it was no surprise that he could deduce such significant details from next to nothing…but never had the skill been directed at him until that day. It was a mystery why the man hadn't gone on to become a detective or at least something where he could utilise such a talent.

Levi’s lips twitched up into a little bemused smirk. “You damned sly bastard. Jesus…I figured you hadn’t lost your touch, but fuck.” The raven shook his head a little, laughing more out of shock than humour. “How long have you known?”

The blonde man gave a shrug, rolling his great shoulders casually. “Not long.” He confessed, smiling a little more genuinely. “I’ll admit I’m impressed that you managed to keep it from me for so long.”

“Long?” The raven scoffed, casting the other man a dubious look. “Pfft, please Mike. It’s been a few weeks.”

“That’s long for me.” The man said with a little smile before his face grew curious. “But for you…that’s moving pretty quickly. It’s serious, I take it?”

Levi leaned one shoulder against the door frame and sighed. “I…I think it might be.”

The blonde's eyebrows shot up in a rare display of surprise. “You’re not sure?”

The raven had always been the headstrong one of their group, always so certain of himself. Never doubting, never questioning himself or his feelings.

Until now apparently.

Swallowing, Levi looked at the floor. “I’m afraid to be.”

He expected the chuckle, even smirked a little when the sound reached his ears. Looking up, he found an expression of baffled amusement plastered to his friend's face.

“Well that’s a first.” Mike admitted with a little shake of his head. “Levi Ackerman admitting that he’s scared? I wonder if the security cameras picked that up?”

A mischievous look crossed the great man's sharp eyes and Levi narrowed his own eyes in response.

“Don’t you dare, you fucker.”

Mike only laughed, holding up his hands to pacify the smaller male. “Alright, don’t make any threats you don’t want to be caught on film.”

Levi rolled his eyes, his smirk fading as he though more about how Mike could have known about him seeing someone. The man was good, no arguments there, but…how could he have figured anything out when the raven hadn’t even come in to work?

The smaller male swallowed a little thickly, glancing up. “Did Erwin..?”

Mike’s features softened for a moment, but he didn’t insult the raven by letting him see any pity. “He may have tipped me off, yes. After that the rest of the signs fell into place.”

“Signs?” Levi scoffed, flicking imaginary dust from his shoulder. “All you’ve had are emails.”

“That’s all I need.”

“Damn.” The raven-haired man brought up his hands to clap slowly. “That’s some freaky talent of yours.”

Mike acknowledged the statement with a smirk and a little tilt of his head before his eyes flickered out of the window. “Your squad is here. Better go set up.”

“Right.”

 

Despite his complaining, Levi rather enjoyed teaching the kids. Lots of his students had come in today; Mike must have tipped them off. Most of the more dedicated kids had left their contact details with administration, phone numbers and email addresses. Levi saw Erd, Gunther, Petra and Aurou, as well as some of his less common pupils.

The session planned began at eleven o'clock, starting with stretches and a few demonstrations of techniques that the kids had been told to practice. Most of them were doing well, keeping up with their routines, and even the few slackers weren't so far behind.

After running through a couple of new combos of kicks and dodges that the raven had prepared, the students got to take on each other in some sparring matches. At twelve, just as the third pair was being selected to spar, Nifa came through.

“Levi? There’s a guy here asking for you.”

The raven arched an eyebrow, straightening from the crouch he had adopted in order to observe his students. “Tell them I’m busy. If they want to see me that bad they can either wait or make an appointment.”

Nifa gave a nod but wrung her hands a little. “He’s, uh...very insistent.”

Levi rolled his eyes, bringing up a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Ugh. Fine. I'll be there in a minute.”

With another nod, Nifa turned on her heel and headed back for her desk out front.

The raven stretched a little, running a hand through his hair. Of all days for some fucker to come in asking for him, why today?

“Levi-san?” Petra's voice called gently, breaking through the raven's reverie.

“Hn?” He turned to her, raising an eyebrow.

The strawberry blonde stood ready with her partner; she and Aurou had been set on sparring to see which of them was better for quite some time.

“Should we wait?”

“Yeah, this shouldn't take too long. Run through that last move again, I’ll be right back.”

With that the raven strode off towards the main hallway that led through to the foyer out front where Nifa handled administration. Levi really hoped that whoever had come in wasn't somebody important; he really didn't want to scare off any potential sponsors looking as he did.

He wasn't even wearing shoes at the moment, for fucks sake. Talk about bad timing.

As the raven drew nearer to the end of the hall, he began to hear muffled voices. That was the first sign that the foyer was close. And then Levi picked up actual sentences.

From the sound of things, Nifa was trying to get some details from the newcomer.

“I'm sorry for the wait, Sir. I'm sure he won't be long. It was Levi that you were after? Yes? He's just got a class right now, you see, and we weren't expecting anyone else.”

The stranger said something, but the voice was too quiet for the raven to hear until he got closer. The voice was too low to belong to a girl and Levi breathed out a minute sigh of relief. At least he wouldn't have to deal with any blushing high-schoolers.

“Oh, I see.” Nifa was speaking again. “Welcome to town, then. It's always good to have new blood.” The girl paused and the raven heard the clicking of a pen. “And what’s your name?”

“Eren.”

Levi nearly stumbled as he heard the brat’s voice, catching himself on the wall.

“Eren? How nice. I just have to write it down for admin purposes, you see.” Nifa continued to explain but whatever she said next was lost on the raven-haired man.

The damned brat couldn't even wait one damned day? Was it really so hard to entertain himself for a few hours until Levi could get back? Instead he just had to come and pester the raven at work, of course.

Mustering his best scowl, Levi pushed off from the wall and stomped right out to the admission desk without so much as a hello. Sure as day, there stood Eren dressed in jeans, a loose shirt and a hoodie, all bright smiles and sunny radiance. It really wasn’t fair.

The kid's face brightened even more when he spotted the sour-faced raven come storming out of the hallway.

“Levi!” The brunette called, a damned near luminous smile lighting up his face as the boy bounded over.

Levi held up his hands in time to stop the boy’s excited embrace, holding the now pouting brat at a safe distance.

“This may sound blunt,” Levi began in an icy tone, “but what the fuck are you doing here?”

Levi couldn’t stop the steady hands that crept out and slipped loosely about his waist. Curse Eren and his long limbs.

“I wanted to see you.” The brunette mumbled, blue-green eyes looking up through dark lashes in an attempt at a repentant expression.

Eren could see that Levi wasn't happy, but that didn't deter the hopeful look in the boy's eyes.

Levi wasn’t having a bar of his wide-eyed penance. “You couldn’t have waited until I finished work?”

Eren shook his head, stepping closer as the raven’s grip on him eased up a little.

“I wanted to see what you do for a living.”

The raven rolled his eyes, reaching up to prod the boy's forehead. “You already know what I do.”

“But I want to see it up close.” The brunette murmured, voice slipping into a lower tone as he took that last step that brought them flush together.

Levi had to tilt his head back a little to meet Eren's dark-eyed gaze and the smaller male flicked his gaze down to the brat's parted lips for a split second.

“Ahem…”

Both the raven and the brunette glanced over to the desk where Nifa sat awkwardly fidgeting and wringing her hands.

She cringed a little at their collective stares, eyes darting away quickly. “Um...should I go or..?”

“No. You can take this brat outside.” Levi stated, calmly extracting himself from the boy’s hold.

“What?” Eren said, aghast. “But Leviiiiii!” He whined, tugging on the man’s arm.

“Christ, Eren. Don’t whine like that in public.” He hissed, shaking free of the grip round his wrist. “You’re not some toddler, stop acting like one.”

The brunette inclined his head in a curious tilt. “You never seemed to mind before.”

Levi cast a quick glance around before snagging the boy's arm and towing him through the foyer and into the main hall, away from prying eyes and ears. The raven rounded on the brat, causing Eren to have to pull up quickly to avoid running straight into the smaller male.

“That’s because we were home.” Levi muttered in a low voice, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. “This is my workplace, Eren, and I am expected to behave appropriately. That means no clingy lovey-dovey shit. It's not all about you here; I have other brats to deal with.”

“Levi?” Another voice, this time belonging to Nanaba, called out. “Is everything alright?”

The raven exhaled in a rush, the low sound almost a growl as he turned. “Yeah. No problem.”

The blonde-haired woman headed down the hall towards the pair, pausing beside Levi. “Who’s this? Another student?”

Levi let his eyes flick over to Eren for a brief moment before they snapped back to his boss. “Not exactly.”

Nanaba raised an eyebrow, looking between the two males. “I haven’t seen him around.”

“He’s new.” Levi said, wondering how in God's name he was going to explain his way out of this.

The brunette by his side didn't seem to have the same qualms, beaming across at Levi's employer.

“I’m Eren.” The brunette announced, smiling happily.

Nanaba returned the boy’s smile, shooting Levi a dubious look of amusement. Surely the raven wouldn’t keep such…merry company? In all the time she had known the man, Levi had purposefully avoided cheery people.

“Hello, Eren.” The woman offered the boy a friendly smile, ignoring Levi's glare. “I’m Nanaba, one of Levi’s employers.”

“Pleased to meet you.” The brunette replied, teal eyes dancing. “I was just passing by and thought it would be nice to surprise Levi.”

The raven clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Well done, you succeeded. Now fuck off and-”

“Levi,” Nanaba cut him off with a smile, though her tone was reproachful, “I’m sure I don’t need to remind you to watch your language around potential clients?”

Levi stared at her incredulously for a moment, fairly certain that his mouth was open from the surprise he felt. It must have been 'gang up on Levi day'.

“No.” He answered, sounding strange to his own ears. “No you don’t. But he isn’t a client. He’s…”

Nanaba smirked a little as the raven trailed off only to look at the newcomer with a exasperated expression. “He’s what?”

Even Eren looked curious to find out the answer, turning his eyes on the raven.

Levi exhaled through his nose, closing his eyes and rubbing at his temples. “Complicated.”

Eren exhaled his amusement, glancing away again with a little smirk.

Nanaba raised an eyebrow, looking a little too smug for the expression to be an accident. “Right…” she smirked, giving a little nod and half-turning to go, “well why don’t you and your complicated friend here come on inside?”

Levi groaned, running a hand over his face. He should have known that Nanaba would draw out his torment. She always had been sneaky when it came to having her fun.

Eren, on the other hand, perked up instantly, his eyes bright with hopeful excitement. “Really? Is that okay?”

“Sure.” The blonde woman said with a smile and shrug. “I’m going to assume that you two know each other in some way or other. You can come in if you like, but I’m afraid you won’t be able to join any of the classes.”

Eren waved away the woman's apologetic look, still beaming. “That’s okay; I just want to take a look at what Levi does.”

“Well that should be just fine.”

Nanaba headed back down the hall with a parting wave while Eren celebrated.

“Yes!” Eren cheered, jumping eagerly beside the moody raven. “Aw, come on, Levi. Smile.”

“Why would I smile?” Levi asked, removing his hand from where it had covered his face at last. “This is a disaster.”

“Whatever. Let’s go!”

 

Levi had never frowned so much at work in his life.

Eren sat over in the corner with his legs crossed, leaning back on his hands and staring around at everything while the raven dealt with his pupils.

“Sensei seems a little distracted today.” Erd murmured as Gunther returned from reminding Aurou why he was ranked above him in combat.

“Yeah.” The dark-haired youth said with a nod, turning to his right. “Hey, Petra?”

“Hmm?”

“What's up with teach?”

The girl made a face, acknowledging that Levi was behaving a little strangely. “I'm not positive...but he started acting off after...that guy came in.”

The strawberry-blonde nodded over at the sunny individual sitting over in the far corner. Erd and Gunther followed her gaze, eyebrows rising as they watched the boy look about like everything he saw was a wonder to behold.

“Who is that guy?”

“Why is he here if he’s not training?”

“Ah, he's probably just some free-loader nephew or something.” Aurou muttered as he slid down the wall beside the others, nursing quite a few bruises. “I think you went a little harder than necessary back there, Gunther.”

“Better keep your bragging to yourself in future.” The brunette smirked, pushing the dirty blonde's shoulder. “But that's not what we're discussing.”

“Right. Petra, you're Levi's favourite.” Aurou announced, nodding over to where their teacher stood, still scowling. “Go ask him.”

“M-Me?”

“Yeah, good idea.” Erd encouraged, pushing off the wall to give Petra an encouraging shove in Levi's direction.

The raven had his back to them, folding his arms over his chest as he criticised the two youths that had managed to mess up and trip each other over for the fifth time in a row.

“You can walk in a straight line, can't you? Try to at least stay upright for more than sixty seconds. Your parents don't pay me just to watch you fall over for the umpteenth time.”

The two young males nodded a little sheepishly and collected themselves.

Petra cleared her throat gently. “Excuse me, Levi-san?”

The raven turned on his heel, a thin brow already raised in question. “Hn? What is it, Petra?”

“We’re just wondering…who is that?” She gestured to where Eren sat across the room.

The brunette was smirking at the clumsy duo still trying to sort themselves out of their heap on the floor.

“Him?” Levi frowned, heaving a sigh. “It’s complicated.”

“Oh.” The girl gave a nod, moving right along. “So why is he here? Is he a new student? Are you teaching him too?”

“No.” The raven shook his head. “I’m baby-sitting.”

From across the room, Eren’s head whipped around in their direction and the boy glared at Levi. He stuck out his tongue, mindful to return to smiling before Petra looked across to see what was making Levi scowl.

Petra gave a surprised little smile when the boy waved over at her from across the room.

“Is he...a relative?” She asked, glancing back to Levi.

“God no. Do we look like we're related to you?”

“Well no...but not everyone does.”

“He's just...a new addition to my life.”

“Oh. Oh, okay.”

“Oh for fucks sake, just stop, you two.” Levi groaned, marching forward to pull the two kids up from yet another fall. “Let's call it quits for one day; you're giving me a headache.”

The raven sent the pair on their way with a shove, striding back to talk to the rest of the kids. Questions were answered, except for those curious prying questions about a certain bright-eyed brat that had turned up out of the blue. By the time the kids were finally heading off to get changed and pack up their gear, Levi turned back to look across to where Eren had finally gotten to his feet.

But Eren wasn't looking at Levi...and Eren wasn't smiling. Instead, the brunette was glaring bloody-murder at the all too familiar face of none other than Erwin Smith as he waltzed into the main room.

“Oh, what the fuck? Erwin, turn your larger than necessary self around and get your ass out of here.”

“Don't listen to him, Erwin!” An all too cheerful voice called out.

Levi made no attempt to muffle the string of profanities that fell from his mouth when the door to Mike's office opened and Hanji walked out with the other man in tow.

“Hanji? Come on; how the fuck did you make it in there? Are you a secret agent? Is that why I never see you sneaking around?”

Levi continued to scowl over at the woman as the blue-eyed man hummed beside him.

“Did she call you here? Is that it?” The raven demanded answers, glaring up at the smiling blonde.

“Hello again, Levi. Always a pleasure to see you.” A smile and then blue eyes flickered over to the brunette in the corner. “Eren.” The blonde nodded in greeting.

“Asshole.” The boy grumbled.

“Did you say something, Eren?” Erwin called, eyebrow raised suspiciously.

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” The brunette smiled back angelically.

Erwin's features took on a mischievous look a moment later and Levi stepped forward.

“Not a word.” Levi muttered, voice low and threatening. “Not one fucking word out of you or I swear I will use you as a goddamned demonstration dummy.”

Ice-blue eyes flashed in understanding that looked all too akin to smugness on the blonde’s face.

“And wipe that dumb look off your face.”

Eren looked on from his corner, watching the two interact. Erwin didn’t look at all worried by the raven’s threats and the big blonde beefcake smiled charmingly down at a bickering Levi. Eren hated to see Levi having to literally look up to speak to Erwin. The boy had a strong urge to bite off the taller man’s kneecaps and see if that wouldn’t help to level out the playing field a little.

Erwin looked away for a moment when Hanji called his name, yelping a moment later when a disgruntled Levi landed a solid kick to the taller man’s shin.

“Aw, Levi, don’t be such a meanie.” The bespectacled woman called out through her snickering.

“Go fuck yourself, four-eyes.”

“Ahaha! No thank you, I have a boyfriend for that!”

“Too much information.” Nanaba laughed behind a hand.

Levi cast a look over his shoulder to his students where they had stopped packing up in favour of gawking at the group of adults.

“Just tune her out, kids.” The raven called, shrugging. “I do.”

Eren smirked at the sight, watching the friends talk and bicker and snark at each other. As different as they all were, it was plain as day that they were close.

Levi’s voice carried out again, still in a complaining tone. “Can someone please just explain why the fuck I’m standing here right now? Because something tells me that it’s not work-related.”

Hanji grinned at him. “You are correct, Sir! I just asked Mike to call you in so that I could get us all together in the same place. I knew that you would be suspicious if I asked you to go somewhere, so naturally I enlisted some help.”

Levi rounded on Erwin. “Did you fucking plan this?”

The blonde held up his hands in defence. “Not at all.”

“Actually, it was me that she called.” Mike said with a sigh.

Levi could practically hear his own jaw hit the floor.

“What.”

“Just hear her out, Levi.” Mike said, glancing to their bespectacled friend.

“Thank you.” The brunette woman smiled before taking on a more serious tone. “Now, as you might have noticed...this is the first time that the four of us have been under the same roof since...well, high school. That's quite a feat. But the reason we are all here is because of an idea I had last night and let me tell you, it was brilliant! Basically I got you all here today so that we can coordinate everyone's movements and organise...a reunion dinner!”

Hanji threw her arms into the air, waiting for everyone's reaction.

Levi couldn't believe what he was hearing.

“No.” The raven said outright, shaking his head.

“Huh? Levi? Wait!”

Levi had already turned on his heel, marching straight for the door. “No, I don’t think so. Points for trying but I’ll be getting the fuck out of here now. Eren, let’s go.”

“But…” Eren's voice sounded for the first time in quite a while.

The raven-haired man paused in his stride, near cringing as he waited for the inevitable words.

“…I don’t think it sounds like such a bad idea-”

The boy cut himself off at the sound of Levi’s groan. The raven ran a hand over his face, threading it roughly back through his hair and turned back to glare at Eren.

“Please, Eren, not you too?”

“I don’t understand. Why do you think this is a bad idea?” The brunette blinked at him. “I’m sorry, but I don’t get it.”

“No, well you wouldn’t, would you?” Levi almost growled out the words. “Because you haven’t had to deal with them for more than ten minutes.”

The raven expected anger, some kind of argument or fight, hell even sadness from the brunette. But the puppy eyes he received instead were even worse because now he felt bad even considering denying the brat.

Levi backed up a step, feeling the reluctant grimace forming on his face. “Dammit, don’t.” He complained, watching as Eren's eyes grew impossibly wider and more hopeful. “Stop... With the eyes and…fuck.”

Eren wasted no time in bounding nearer. “So we can go?”

“Ugh…”

“Hurray! Thank you!”

Hanji looked on with an expression of awe. “Eh? Eren, you’re amazing! How did you even do that? Levi never changes his mind! Are you a miracle?”

Levi sulked as Eren and Hanji started to talk, no doubt conspiring to help one another in future. The thought was enough to make the raven start to head for the door again and this time he made it through, not stopping at Hanji’s voice or Erwin’s. All he wanted was to go home and mope for a bit.

But when an excited bouncing brat came chasing after him, Levi waited. He waited with his bag cast over one shoulder and a tired frown on his face, but the raven didn’t move another step until the brunette had caught up to him.

The boy was practically bouncing, smiling all the way to his ears.

“You suck.” Levi grumbled when Eren leaned down to peck his cheek as they walked.

“Meh.” The brunette’s smile didn't even waver. “You’re just mad now. You’ll cheer up.”

“Me? Cheer?” Levi eyed the boy through a sarcastic sidelong glance. “Har har, very funny.”

“I’m serious about wanting to go to that reunion.” Eren murmured, regarding the raven's frown at the mention of the event. “I mean, apart from Erwin, they all seem nice enough. And I want to know your friends.”

Grey eyes rolled in a sardonic display. “You could probably eat a few of them for me…take them off my hands.”

Eren barked out a laugh at the raven's words. “Ha!” The brunette leaned down with a cheeky smirk. “Don’t give that invitation away so freely.”

“You think I’m joking?” Levi challenged, raising a brow.

Eren's smile turned lazy, the kind of smile he got when he was absolutely sure of himself. “I know you’re joking.”

The pair continued to argue back and forth all the way home, with Eren commenting on how good the raven looked when he worked up a little bit of sweat and Levi told him how disgusting he thought that was.

“Gross, brat.”

“I'm serious. It was all I could do to keep still.”

“Tch.”

“And what were you wearing? You put that on to wear in public? I'm jealous.”

Levi had a cold shower when they finally got back to the apartment, relishing the refreshing chill. The raven reluctantly checked his emails, having an awful feeling that Hanji would have actually tried to contact him for a reason other than sharing cat memes.

His hunch was right and moments after scrolling through the list of messages, Levi clicked on an email from his crazed friend. The message was simple and to the point, unusual but a welcome change from the eccentric brunette.

 

_Dinner on Friday this week, all expenses paid. Time: seven o'clock. Venue: The Rose. That means formal attire, people. Also, everyone is allowed to bring one additional person if they so wish and yes, I do mean for your partner. That's about it, call if you have any queries._

_See you all Friday!_

 

The raven-haired man sighed heavily and made a mental note to take Eren out to get some clothes properly fitted. If they were going to The Rose, he would need it.

Levi leaned across from his place where he sat on the bed, calling out into the living room. “Eren?”

“Yeah?” Came the brunette's reply.

“We're going out again tomorrow.”

“Cool!” The boy's voice exclaim in glee and for a moment the raven saw Eren's head pop up over the back of the couch.

“Don't get too excited, it's only to find you some new clothes, it won't be all that much fun.”

Closing down his laptop, the raven could only hope that Friday would come and go as soon as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably skip a few days and go straight to the dinner for next chapter, otherwise there will be too much filler. If anyone has any questions, feel free to drop me a comment. New character POV should be coming up in a few chapters time :)


	23. Suits Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember how I said I was going to skip straight to the dinner..? Yeah, that’s no longer true. So here you go, some sort of drabble and ereri shenanigans. A little shorter but still fun.  
> This chapter is dedicated to OokamiXkitsune for the hilarious suggestions commented on a previous chapter; they were just too fabulous to pass up!  
> OH and I found a post of my story on tumblr, guys, I am officially freaking out. O_O It is so weird and SO BRILLIANT to see fic recs for something I wrote, just…wow. THANK YOU ALL!! I’m going to go cry tears of joy at my computer screen now.  
> Enjoy!

“What’s the problem? I don’t know, well maybe I’m in love…” – Counting Crows, Accidentally In Love.

***

 

From the very first step outside of the apartment, Levi had known that today would be an interesting day.

He had a gut feeling, the kind that never turned out to be wrong, all through the walk down to main conglomeration of shops while Eren pranced merrily along beside him. Dressed in the only pair of shorts that the boy owned, courtesy of Levi, and the raven’s favourite turtleneck sweater, the brunette looked both ridiculous and adorable. Levi couldn’t quite decide on either option solidly, so ridiculously adorable would have to do. The raven was half tempted to buy the kid a pair of glasses to complete the look.

More than a few people glanced Eren's way, much to Levi's chagrin, but then again the brunette had probably been hoping for this kind of reaction. Eren seemed to get an odd kick out of Levi's possessive behaviour and damn if he wasn't doing a spot on job of drawing out those feelings now. The raven stayed close by, eyeing every last person that even so much as blinked at the teal-eyed brat.

The smaller male couldn’t help but let the boy lead the way, unable to resist stealing glances at the sudden expanse of tanned legs that somehow managed to be the perfect mix of slender and defined.

It wasn’t fair.

Levi ran a hand over his face with an exasperated sigh. “Why did you decide to wear those in public again?”

“To fuck with your mind.”

The answer came without a single moment of hesitation and Levi had to wonder if the brat had been waiting for him to say something.

Another weary sigh rustled free of the raven's lungs. “Well it’s working.”

“Good.”

Eren's mood was less than pleased, but even so Levi had a feeling that the kid wasn't quite as upset as he acted. The clothes were a tease just as much as the purposeful sway of the brunette's hips and the raven was certain that if Eren were only angry he wouldn't have bothered with the effort.

Grey eyes drawn on said hips, Levi opened his mouth to speak again. “Is this because I said we couldn’t play before breakfast?”

The raven's tone sounded absent at best and distracted at worst. Eren didn't fail to notice, shooting the smaller man a playfully reproving glance over his shoulder.

“Maybe it is.” The boy replied, turning back to face the front. “Or maybe I just want to punish you.”

Levi shook his head, ducking a little to hide his smile. “Subtle as a brick, you are.” The raven muttered under his breath. “Subtle as a fucking flying brick.”

 

The day certainly got interesting when the pair finally arrived at the store Levi had been looking for. It handled all forms of formal wear, from weddings to proms to business suits.

A withered looking man in the store’s uniform scurried over to them, already turning up his nose. Levi’s shady looking appearance made him look like some kind of street criminal, he was sure. And trailing the scantily clad Eren in after him, the raven could just picture the thoughts running through the sour-faced assistant’s head.

Still, business was business and the man had to at least try to do his job. “Hello, Sirs. How may I help you?”

Levi’s eyes narrowed immediately as he caught the less than kind stare he was receiving from the older gentleman. The man looked thoroughly displeased, as though the raven had rained all over his parade just by setting foot inside the store.

And it only got better when the grey-haired assistant spoke up again.

“Stop me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t you prefer something from the store down the street?” The weasel of a man went on. Levi hated the man’s nasally voice and the way he drew out his vowels. “I think it would be more to your tastes-”

“Stop right there.” The raven held up a finger, grey eyes narrowed dangerously. “One, you are wrong, so shut the fuck up, and two, don’t talk down your crooked-ass nose at me you old assbag.”

The man took a step back, his crinkled eyes blowing wide at the raven’s words. But Levi wasn’t finished.

“Just because I look like this doesn’t make you better than me, and if you even think about turning those wretched eyes on my company I’ll tear them right out of their sockets.” The raven paused, cracking his knuckles for effect and enjoying the look of alarm that crossed the older man’s face. “Now are you going to stop blindly stereotyping for long enough to make a sale or two? Or do I need to rip you a new one?”

The man sputtered indignantly while Eren tried to muffle his disbelieving laughter behind a hand. It didn’t take any more than that to get the old fart to move aside to let them through, listening to Levi’s instructions. They were directed towards a counter while the assistant went to get one of the booths ready.

Eren picked up the words ‘brat’ and ‘fitting’ and assumed that whatever was going down would involve him. But the boy couldn’t care less about that after witnessing Levi in such a defensive state just because some old bastard had looked at them funny. Even if it wasn’t entirely over him, Eren still felt giddy at the thought of the raven’s possessive words when he had threatened the mean-looking salesperson. He watched the puckered old crone stalk off towards a line of little booths that had been sectioned off and had little curtains to create the illusion of privacy. Levi called them changing rooms and Eren didn’t like the look of them.

Sidling up to the raven, the brunette wound his arms around one of Levi's. “Do I have to go in there?”

“Well duh.” The smaller male looked across at the boy, eyeing the nervous hold on his arm. “Unless you want some assistant taking your inside leg out in the open?”

The sarcasm only served to make Eren more distressed.

The brunette stammered, clutching the raven tighter. “Wh-What? What do you mean ‘inside leg’? Why are they going to take it?” Eren fretted, hiding behind Levi. “I like my legs exactly where they are!”

“Calm down and lower your voice, you shit.” Levi’s words seemed harsh but they were spoken through a soft chuckle. “They’re not literally taking anything, it’s just a measurement.”

Eren gave a little whine, shifting his weight from foot to foot anxiously and tugging absently at the raven’s arm as he looked off towards the booths.

“Go on, it's fine.” Levi encouraged, extracting himself from the boy's grip. “They just need to get your measurements so that we can get an idea of what clothes will fit you better.” The raven coaxed Eren forward, sending him on his way with a gentle slap to the brunette's rump.

The brat stumbled forward with a needy pant, taking one step away, then two. All progress was shattered when the kid turned around again.

“But I don’t want to be in there with that grumpy looking prude.”

Levi gave a snort, rolling his eyes with a smirk as the brat scampered right back over to him.

“It won’t take long.” The raven lied, glancing off to one side. “The sooner you get in there, the sooner we can go home.”

Eren wanted to go back to the apartment but the thought of being anywhere near that old man's sneering face made the boy want to tear someone in half.

“I don't like him...he's got a nasty looking face.”

Levi couldn't agree more on that comment; the withered old prick had the kind of expression one got from sucking on a lemon. Nevertheless, they were only wasting time standing around.

“Just get over there.”

A frustrated whimper escaped the brat’s mouth. “Why does that guy have to do it?”

“Because it's his job and he’s been trained and shit.” The raven rolled his eyes, pushing at the small of Eren's back to guide him forward step by reluctant step. “I'm not doing it.”

Eren looked back over his shoulder. “But...”

“No.” Levi cut him off in a firm tone before the brat could think up any more excuses. “No buts and no more cutsie eyes. Get your ass over there.”

“Can't we go over together?”

The raven shook his head, jerking his chin in the direction of one of the service counters. “I have to let the clerk over there know that we'll be using one of their rooms first. I'll be there in a second.”

“Can't I just-”

“Eren.” Levi said the kid’s name with a warning tone. “You have five seconds to go over and get started with the measurements or I will drag you there by your hair.”

Eren laughed, clearly not believing that the raven would make good on his threat. Five seconds later Levi towed a yelping Eren along behind him, one hand tugging on a good fistful of soft brown locks.

“Ow! Ah-no L-Levi! O-Ouch!”

Eren whimpered and yelped his complaints as he followed along behind, having to walk at a hunched angle because of their height difference. The store assistant looked on with a wide-eyed stare as the smaller male shoved the taller towards the counter.

“Sorry about the wait,” the raven muttered, “he’s…new to this sort of thing.”

The brunette covered his head with his arms, rubbing at the sore patch of his scalp.

From her place behind the counter, the young clerk regarded the pair. She seemed impressed with both of them, leaning in to speak to Levi. Smiling a little too pleasantly, the girl gestured from the raven to the brunette.

“Relative?” She asked, her tone a little too hopeful for it to be an accident.

Eren seemed to recover from his sulking fit very quickly, stepping over beside Levi with a glare.

“Boyfriend.” The brunette all but growled, straightening suddenly and curving a possessive arm about the raven’s waist.

Levi folded his arms across his chest and leaned slightly against the brat, raising an eyebrow at the girl’s shocked expression.

“That’s right.” The smaller male confirmed, schooling his face into an eerily blank expression. “Now are you actually going to do your job or do we need to make a scene?”

The clerk sat back in her chair, waving her hands in front of her to pacify them. “N-No, uh…right this way, Sir.”

With a calm nod, Levi smirked. “That’s more like it.”

 

“Oh for fucks sake, Eren!”

“Sir, could you please remain still?”

Ten minutes. Ten whole minutes Eren had been standing there fidgeting and still nothing. Suddenly the boy was regretting not wearing something that covered a little more skin. But nothing was as torturous as the instruction to remain as still as possible.

“Levi, I’m bored!” Eren whined over at him.

Levi arched a thin brow at the kid. “Take a good look at my face, brat, and see if I give a shit.”

“But Leviiiiiiiiiii!”

The raven resisted the urge to bash his head against the wall he was leaning against. “Stop complaining, we’re only here because of you.”

“I never said I wanted anything.” Eren whined, turning his pleading eyes on the smaller male.

Levi sighed, it was a tired sound. “That doesn’t mean you don’t need it.”

“Sir, please just hold still-”

“Ah! Don’t touch there!” Eren jumped back from an accidental brush against his thigh, teetering on the edge of the podium and ultimately toppling off it.

Levi ran a hand over his face and suppressed a strong urge to groan as the brunette scrambled up in a mess of legs and flailing arms that would have been cute if not for the time already spent standing there and still no progress had been achieved. The boy ran over to the raven, ducking behind the smaller man and peeping over his shoulder to glare daggers at the senior assistant.

“Eren, get back over there.”

The brunette shook his head with a petulant frown. “I don’t want to.”

“I don’t care, you’re going to. Now.”

 

Eren had never been so prone to distraction as he was then, head darting about to follow every single tiny movement that his teal eyes caught sight of. Every shift of fabric or cleared throat made the brat flinch and twitch towards the sound. The boy twisted and squirmed, clearly uncomfortable with having to maintain such close proximity to anyone but the raven he had chosen.

While annoying, Levi couldn’t help but snicker at the occasional murderous look that would build in the brunette’s eyes, only to dissolve back into a moping pout moment later. For a man-eating killer, Eren was adorable. It was hard to picture the boy as anything that could possibly pose a fatal threat; the brunette looked exactly like any young unruly college student.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, Eren discovered that he was ticklish. Levi noticed when the brunette let out a startled giggle and shimmied away from the hand near his side. The raven assumed that the boy was one of those people who were only ticklish when they were tense, as he had touched Eren before and not caused him to laugh or shy away from wandering hands.

It made things practically impossible for the grumpy senior assistant and after enduring all of the brunette’s antics and the raven’s amused snorts or scoffing laughter, the grey-haired man stormed out with the final measurements and probably a year’s worth of required anger-management therapy.

“Is it over?” Eren asked wearily from the podium.

Levi chuckled, straightening. “That part is.”

The way the brunette’s eyes brightened made the raven-haired man’s lips quirk up into a half smile. Eren was off the pedestal and darting over to Levi in a second, moving just a little too fast not to be questionable and the raven clicked his tongue in reproach.

“Careful.” He chided, frowning a little. “You don’t want to draw attention.”

“It’s fine, nobody saw anything.”

Eren leaned down to kiss the raven but Levi turned his head last minute and the boy’s lips pressed to the other man’s cheek instead. The brunette tried again, this time catching the corner of Levi’s mouth, but the raven shifted again when Eren went for his lips, grey eyes dancing with mischief. Eren’s lips curved into a smile against the other man’s cheek and he leaned forward.

Levi found endless amusement in teasing the brat, evading his every attempt to join their mouths, but only just. It was maddeningly frustrating, but the boy indulged in the raven’s game and gave chase until the pair noticed the blushing girl who had pulled back the curtain. It was the same clerk from the counter, probably sent to deal with them because the old fart had bust a vein from having to deal with such a troublesome pair of men.

Eren had never looked less pleased to see someone in all the time Levi had known him. The boy's face looked despairingly bored, almost unsettlingly so until the brunette pouted a little against the raven's cheek.

It had taken several minutes for the young female to return, this time with a selection of suits and other formal-wear that catered to Eren’s measurements and the brunette groaned when he was told to try them all on.

“Do I have to?”

“Yes.” Levi replied, sorting through the clothes that had been hung up in the little room where Eren would be changing. “Go on, this is the fun part. For me at least.”

The brunette turned curious eyes on the smaller man, raising an eyebrow. “Oh? Why’s that?”

Levi already had the answer perched on his tongue and the words escaped as soon as Eren finished asking his question. “Because I get to watch your gorgeous ass prancing around in a suit.”

Soft pink dusted itself across the boy's cheeks and the brunette swallowed, ducking his head and smiling.

“Fine.” Eren attempted to sound reluctant, but he couldn't wipe the grin off his face. “But only because you think I’m gorgeous.”

“Take a look in the mirror, kid.” The raven-haired man murmured, beginning to smirk. “Your ass is fine…and now it’s mine.”

“Damn.” The brunette snickered at the raven's words. “You’re a poet and you didn’t know it?”

“And I’ve got the rhymes to show it.” Levi shot right back, smirking.

Eren gave up trying to search for another rhyme in favour of laughing, ducking into the little booth and grabbing hold of the curtain.

The brunette shot Levi a mock-accusatory look, drawing the curtain mostly across and leaning out. “No peeking.”

Levi smirked, leaning back against the wall. “Don’t tempt me.”

With a wink, the boy tugged the curtain closed and the raven resigned himself to wait. Figuring that it would take the brat a while to figure out just how to get into a suit, Levi darted off to snag a few other items around the store.

By the time he returned, Eren was still rustling around behind the curtain.

“Oh my fu-” Levi started to growl but cut himself off to start a new line of enquiry, “aren’t you done yet?”

“Hmm?” Eren's voice sounded from beyond the curtain. “Oh no, I…I am. Just…I don’t know how this strip of cloth works.”

The raven gave a sigh. “Well is it a belt or a tie?”

“Um…” Eren drew out the sound in an uncertain tone.

“Ugh. Just come out already, I promise not to laugh.”

A short moment of silence passed until Eren spoke up.

“That’s a lie, isn’t it?”

“…”

The boy heaved a reluctant sigh. “Okay, fine.”

With a rustle and the clink of metal curtain rings, Eren pushed the drape aside and stepped out.

Levi did not laugh, probably because he was focusing all his energy on not sporting the world’s most inconvenient boner in the middle of the store. Granted, it’s not like there was anyone else in their immediate vicinity, but the principle remained.

Eren looked amazing. The bouncy, adorable brat had been replaced with some kind of mysterious, suave looking young man. Black slacks and a black dress shirt to match, along with a beige coloured suits jacket over the top came together marvellously on the kid’s lean frame.

Levi quickly decided that Eren didn’t even need the tie, staring shamelessly at the pronounced collar bones that peeked out with the two top buttons left undone. It took a tremendous effort not to give into his urge to mark the kid with his teeth, right then and there. Eren’s almost timid sounding voice broke the raven out of his reverie.

“Levi..?”

Grey eyes snapped back up to meet uncertain teal and Levi felt his face soften at the little smile he found on the boy’s face.

“So do I look like an idiot, or..?” Eren trailed off, trying to make light of his uncertainty.

“Or.” Levi answered. “Definitely or.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.” The raven shook his head as Eren frowned over missed humour. “You look incredible.”

“I do?” Eren's entire face portrayed his shock, the wide eyes, the surprised blush, even the way his lips parted slightly. “Really?” And then the excitement began to morph through and a cheeky little smile brightened the boy's face. “Like, how incredible?”

“Like holy Mother Theresa, hold onto your fly kind of incredible.” Levi said without pause, pleased with the laughter his words drew from the brunette. “It’s all I can do not to bend you over right here.”

Eren had this adorable trait of holding the tip of his tongue between his teeth whenever he got truly excited over something and he had the exact same look on his face now. An air of playfulness surged from this classy looking being and he slipped his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

“I wouldn’t mind giving the store a little show if you wouldn’t?” Eren murmured, waggling his eyebrows at the raven suggestively.

Levi recognised the low tone and sent the boy a smirk. “Oh no, I’m not quite that turned on.”

“Darn…maybe I should try harder.” Eren's eyes grew a little darker, teal eyes half-lidded.

“No, no you don’t.” The raven held up a hand in reprimand. “You stay over there and pivot for me. I want to see every angle.”

The brunette’s playful smile became a giddy grin and he stepped back obediently, giving a twirl.

“You like?” Eren enquired, biting his lip.

“Fuck yes.” The raven nodded, gripping his seat to keep his legs from taking him over to the kid and slamming him up against the wall, public be damned. “That’s a keeper.”

“I wonder how the others will be.” The brunette continued to tease.

“Don’t just stand there, go pick another.”

“Yes, Sir!” Eren saluted and turned on his heel.

“And for God’s sake, don’t take so long this time.” Levi complained, folding his arms across his chest.

“All good,” the boy’s voice sounded from behind the curtain, “I think I’ve got the hang of it now.”

“Apart from the tie.” The raven reminded.

“Yeah.”

 

Everything that Eren put on looked absolutely fantastic, with one exception of a hideous floral jacket that the brunette had found sitting under the table in his dressing room and tried on for shits and giggles.

Levi had been horrified, pretending to gag at the pattern until Eren finally took the monstrosity off again. It was an odd sort of relief to see the brunette come bouncing back out of the booth dressed in his mini shorts and turtleneck.

They left the store with quite a bit more than intended and Levi considered that he might have to invest in a bigger closet soon. And maybe even a bigger apartment. Eren loved the flat, but Levi knew that even with just the two of them there the place was crowded. He didn’t want to make the boy worry about things like moving about right then, not when the kid looked so happy.

Levi hailed a cab and thus the demon experienced his first real drive in a car. It had taken a moment to convince the boy that getting inside the vehicle would be safe but once Levi was in the brunette reluctantly followed. The raven sat back and watched the brat stare out of the window, eyes darting after every passing thing like he’d never seen a tree or dog or building before. Granted, everything was still new and therefore exciting for the kid, but Levi couldn’t hold back the amused little smile that curved his lips.

Not long into the trip, Eren abandoned his seatbelt in favour of scrambling across to Levi’s side of the backseat and settling himself in the raven’s lap. The boy’s back pressed against Levi’s chest as Eren pressed his hands against the glass of the window, still at least pretending to be interested in the view.

Levi couldn’t give a flying fuck about what was out the window, not with the way Eren shifted on his lap, pressing his ass against the raven’s groin. So much for not popping a boner until they got back to the apartment, Levi thought to himself with a roll of his eyes as he squirmed, suddenly feeling constricted by the tightness of his jeans against the growing throb between his legs.

Eren…that little shit.

Biting his tongue to hold back any compromising sounds, the raven brought his hands up to hold the brunette’s hips, squeezing until teal eyes flickered over to meet his gaze in the reflection of the window. Eren flashed him a playful smile and shifted his hips again. Levi watched the boy raise an eyebrow at him, no doubt able to feel the raven’s arousal pressing against him.

The smaller man snaked his hands under the brunette’s sweater, teasing his way up steadily heating flesh and toying with the boy’s pert nipples. Eren didn’t try nearly so hard to be quiet, whimpering softly and arching his back. Levi scratched blunt nails across the hot skin of Eren’s stomach, exhaling hard when the brat started to grind his ass in circles against him. The brunette shuddered in the man’s arms, breath catching in his throat every time the raven bucked his hips.

It was all too quick a drive and the apartment building came into view far too soon for either of their liking. Gathering up their things, the two males shuffled from the car, wincing from the confinement that jeans brought them. Receiving a suspicious glance from the driver, Levi paid and ducked sheepishly out of the car.

Levi had never been so eager to climb stairs in all his life, especially after seeing Eren dash off towards the complex with all the clothes and Levi’s keys in hand.

Steps weren’t such a problem when you took them two or three at a time. Living on a higher floor was a bitch, though, and the raven was feeling a little breathless by the time he staggered into the open flat.

Eren was on him in a second, literally on him. The brunette leapt into the raven’s arms before the man could even shut the door properly, legs wrapping themselves around his waist as searching lips crashed against Levi’s mouth, open in a sound of surprise.

For all of Eren’s drive, he still faltered when it came to trying new things. The searing kiss slowed as Eren’s tongue crept cautiously inside the raven’s mouth, tentatively exploring the cavern. Levi kicked the door shut, wrapping the brunette up in his arms and tilting his head to slot their mouths together. Levi coaxed Eren in further with playful little licks and the boy moaned shamelessly when the raven sucked on his tongue, hips stuttering against Levi’s at the feeling.

The pair broke apart, gasping for air, and Eren lent his forehead against Levi’s.

“Bedroom?” The boy panted, hopeful.

“Are you going to get down, or should I just carry you?”

Eren’s arms tightened around the raven’s neck and he smiled, biting his lip. Levi rolled his eyes fondly, stretching up a little to peck the kid’s forehead.

“Carrying it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could anyone else picture adorable nerdy Eren if he had of worn those glasses? Damn, I’m going to have to try and draw that.  
> Before I go, though, I have pretty crappy internet but if anyone has any questions, feel free to drop me a message or post at haberkonium on tumblr and I will try my very best to answer you ASAP. As of today I am tracking the tag fic: under the bed ereri (because just ‘under the bed’ brings up some weird shit, let me tell you) And tumblr is where I’ll post any art or image referencing that I do for chapters, because sometimes I feel as though my descriptions are shit and therefore pictures must happen. (Eren’s outfit from today is actually up there somewhere, I drew the tie by accident before remembering that it was supposed to be missing :p)  
> Am working on next chapter, some smut and then the dinner at last!


	24. Mine

“Why don’t you love me, touch me, tell me I’m your everything, the air you breathe…” – Hot Chelle Rae, Why Don’t You Love Me.

***

 

Making it to the bedroom wasn’t normally a difficult thing to do. One foot in front of the other, and so on and so on, until one reached the intended destination. But try telling that to a lust-filled mind. Suddenly solving algebraic equations seemed like a simpler task. Sure, a little patience would get them there eventually…

But Eren was by no means a patient creature. Quite the opposite, in fact.

The demon boy seemed to want to make twenty separate decisions all at once. His mouth sought to kiss and lick and bite, sometimes mouthing roughly along skin in a mashed attempt of all three.

Unsure of the procedure but sure that he wanted it to proceed, Eren hunted Levi through the flat with biting kisses, growling low in the back of his throat. He was confident enough in that, mouth rough on Levi’s jaw, his neck. Herding the raven. Eren’s hands grabbed at whatever flesh was under them, clutching at Levi’s thighs, hips, and sides as the raven backed up bit by bit. Giving only the smallest victories. Levi knew what Eren wanted, smirking into the almost aggressive kisses that the demon boy doled out. Passionate and needy, with no sense of finesse in his desperate state. Eren was working himself up with almost no help from Levi and the raven knew it. He revelled in it. He wouldn’t give up the game so easily, though. It had been no small amount of time since Levi had taken a partner, let alone one that he intended to keep around for more than a brief night’s fling. This kind of situation required exploration.

Besides, Levi was fairly confident that aside from Eren’s gung-ho attitude and over-enthusiasm, the demon was clueless in matters of the bedroom. Sure, Eren had experienced a sparse few pleasures now. That didn’t make him experienced. It was, Levi found, actually kind of funny. That a being existing in the apparent dominion of sin had not partaken.

It would be a rare and delightful moment to be able to play with a creature that had lived for so long and yet remained so innocent in some ways.

Levi got a hand behind Eren’s head and coaxed him nearer, head tilting to kiss the boy deeply in the way that made his face heat up. His bottom lip got shaky, stilled easily enough when Levi’s mouth closed over it to suck. Eren’s hands faltered, hesitating in their determined exploration of Levi’s hips. Curled hard around said hips instead for some kind of support while he let Levi teach him. Pliant lips yielded to Levi’s tongue and Eren allowed himself to be guided into something slow and sensual. A press of lips, the gradual tilting of the head to find the angle that felt the best. Eren lost himself to it. Eyes closed, any embarrassing noises of pleasure quieted against Levi’s mouth and lost to his throat. The slide of their mouths grew almost lazy, but inside Levi made sure to leave no area of Eren’s mouth without attention.

Tongues sliding, teaching in languid patterns the lazy bliss that kissing could be. Chaste, also, in quick moments of passing, but Levi wasn’t looking for anything chaste right then and there. And neither, thankfully, was Eren. He was eager, maybe a little too eager. He kept getting a little overzealous with his tongue action, easily coaxed back with a few nips until Eren was calm and ready to be led again.

Whining near constant in Levi’s ears. Wanting more. Eager enough that he was able to wait.

Hands threaded through Eren’s hair whenever he did something right, stroking Levi’s tongue with his and earning gentle fingernails against his scalp.

They broke for air, only Eren didn’t breathe once they had parted. It was like he’d only remembered that he didn’t need the air when he could focus again. That focus quickly slipped as his eyes trained on Levi again, panting almost instantly as his gaze dropped on the raven’s mouth. He was welcome to look, though, and Levi praised him for it. If without using words.

Their next meeting was a little less aggressive on Eren’s part, but no less enthused. The kid was getting the hang of things, taking to licking at the inside of Levi’s mouth not unlike the way he occasionally tried to groom the raven. That had been weird, some demonic habit as Eren explained almost every time it happened, but it wasn’t so bad against Levi’s tongue. And Eren seemed doubly pleased by anything the raven did to him. Be it teeth sinking into the brunet’s lower lip, or the soothing swipe of tongue that always followed. Levi swallowed appreciative whimpers, feeling Eren squirm against him more and more. When the brunet allowed himself to feel with the full scope of his senses, he was remarkably sensitive. Even simple things like kissing could get Eren riled, so Levi should have expected the lost little whine that the demon made when Levi sucked on his tongue.

Pulling back, Levi eyed Eren for a brief moment.

“You demons don’t have some weird ‘tongue is actually your dick’ thing, do you?” He asked.

Eren’s features twitched into confusion. “No.”

Well at least it hadn’t been a question; Eren was confused by Levi’s question but sure of his answer.

Good; Levi wasn’t sure what he would have done with any weird demonic biology twists. Like tail dicks or spontaneous tentacle hands. God forbid. But Eren seemed sure that their biology was more or less the same in functionality at least. So Eren was just sensitive, then. More so. Whatever happened down in Hell when demons were made, born, whatever, Levi was appreciative of it.

He would be able to have a lot of fun with that.

Likewise, Levi felt especially sensitive under Eren’s fingers. He doubted that it had anything to do with supernatural demon powers, though. More likely it was just that no one had touched him with the intent to be intimate in a long time. And Eren put his hands on Levi like he was readying to tackle him, much less hold him. The brunet tried to match Levi’s energy, outmatching him instead. He wasn’t the most skilled at kissing yet, especially in moments of abandon. Whenever Eren took actual charge of a kiss there was a definitive overuse of tongue action – Levi learned that pulling away generally got the demon to calm down.

A little space, a little air (for him at least), and then back to business.

Slower, more methodical kisses were initiated, and finally Eren started to explore Levi. He learned quickly that Levi liked to bite, nipping with no intention to really hurt whenever Eren’s tongue lingered in his mouth for long.

Levi felt a hesitant pressure against his hips – Eren pressing his arousal almost shyly against the raven. He sought pressure, friction, against Levi’s body, and found it. He ground against Levi, but gasped and broke their kiss when Levi pushed his hips back against Eren.

Foreign urges tore at the demon. He craved this learning, wanted to know every last thing that could make Levi squirm in his hands. But newly awakened and demanding areas of his body were desperate for satisfaction.

How to ask for more, though?

His throat seemed against the idea of words, his mouth uninterested with any action that didn’t involve tasting Levi’s lips, his skin. There wasn’t enough of said skin uncovered. Eren decided that was a good enough place to start and he tugged at the material of Levi’s shirt. It was hard to focus on what his hands were doing, as well as keep up with Levi’s mouth. He tried his best, pawing somewhat uselessly at the raven’s chest. Eren had so many urges. He wanted Levi naked, but he’d have to let go of the raven and actually focus on the task. And Levi was no help there; he let the demon wrestle with his urges for a while, distracting Eren with cheeky kisses. Levi relented eventually, leading the way backwards towards the bedroom when Eren’s fingers proved useless in removing the shirt.

They bumped their way through the doorway, Eren’s frustrated whimpers following a retreating Levi.

Another brief pause, a biting kiss.

Eren pressed forwards, and there was nowhere to go. Nowhere but down.

They’d hit the bed a little faster than planned and went tumbling back onto it in a rush of flailing limbs and breathless laughter.            Levi lost his shirt at last, tossing it somewhere to be found later. He might have folded it if his lap hadn’t been full of a very eager Eren.

Damned kid was practically buzzing.

The demon boy hardly knew what to be eager for, probably just eager to be getting intimate in any way. Poor thing, so starved of affection. Levi hoped that he could make this experience a memory for the boy to look back on in fondness. After so long without healthy interactions, Levi was sure this interaction would stand out. And that was good. Eren needed good memories. Positive experiences had to have been hard to come by when one lived in Hell.

With new access to skin, Eren set a hungry mouth to the patterned flesh of Levi’s shoulder. He bit a little too hard but at least the brunet hadn’t needed any encouragement to act. It was refreshing, in a way. And at least Eren had enough sense not to break the skin.

The demon seemed enamoured with the idea of tattoos, claiming in quiet tones that the taste of the ink lingering in Levi’s skin complemented his natural flavour.

Whatever that flavour was, Eren didn’t seem to have the vocabulary to explain it to Levi. It was a bit weird thinking of people flavours all of a sudden. Levi distracted himself by burying his mouth against Eren’s neck, wondering what the brunet would think if he got a feel of Levi’s teeth against his skin. He didn’t risk the temptation, unsure of what slumbering instinct the action might drag up. Levi sucked instead, feeling Eren stiffen at the unfamiliar sensation but pant even harder at the attention.

Pausing above him, poised and waiting.

Learning. Good. Eren returned his attention while Levi worked his mouth along the column of Eren’s throat, working a hand down the brunet’s chest. He wondered when Eren had lost his shirt. Or his pants, holy shit the kid moved fast. Or maybe that had been Levi’s doing?

Who knew? Nevertheless Eren had only a solitary undergarment to act as a last modesty.

A formality by this point.

And Levi bypassed that modesty with a snaking hand, worming under the elastic to ghost to tease at the barely throbbing flesh hidden there. Hot against Levi’s fingers, the skin already wet. Levi should have known Eren would be one to start leaking early.

That would only make things easier, really.

Fingers curled around the shaft and Levi squeezed.

Eren tensed in an effort not to jerk, biting harder into Levi’s shoulder, and he pushed his hips forward. Back and forward again, just barely rocking in a silent plea for more. More contact, more friction, just more. He released his bite and Levi’s skin stung in places where teeth had been pressed in, and Eren gave a breathy whisper of Levi’s name. They pulled back at the same time, Levi’s gaze fond and Eren’s nervous but determined, and Levi tugged on Eren’s cock in a slow rhythm as he coaxed the brunet down for another kiss.

Shaky exhales gusted across his lips, spilled from Eren’s throat as the demon struggled with his pleasure. Unfamiliar but so, so good. Unlike anything he had experienced before coming here, before he’d been discovered by some random human.

Levi wondered what might have happened had someone else found Eren that day. Would Eren have found his way into their bed?

Teeth gnawed at his shoulder again, stifling Eren’s latest growls, and Levi decided that no one else could have replaced him there. Any sane person wouldn’t have indulged a maniac that had tried to kill (and eat) them during their first encounter. Levi also made a deduction about himself – he had clearly lost the plot.

It seemed to be working out for him.

Back to his original train of thought, no. No one else would have had Eren like this. They would have died, more likely, right in that alleyway. Just an addition to the already bloody water.

“What’s wrong?”

Focusing back on Eren, Levi saw that the brunet was frowning.

“Hm?” He hummed in query, grateful for the distraction.

Eren hovered over him, eyes devoid of most want for the moment as he searched Levi’s face to find out what was wrong. Concerned that the frown on the raven’s face might be his doing.

Levi tilted his head at him.

Eren thumbed at his brow, trying to smooth out the lines. “You’re making a face.” He accused. “Did I…was it something I..?”

“You’re doing fine, no. I just remembered how we met.” Levi admitted, unsurprised but relieved at Eren’s sheepish laughter. “It’s not exactly spank bank material.”

The demon looked confused for a moment. Levi figured he’d caught on when the brunet’s eyebrows rose up.

“If that means anything like what I think it means, then you’re right.” Eren agreed, smiling with some strain until Levi remembered that he still had a handful of twitching dick and let go. A sigh, a grateful shudder. “I’d assume that humans are generally not turned on by the prospect of near-death experiences.”

Levi scoffed. “You must be getting better at the whole human act, then.”

Sarcasm aside, the effects of said thoughts had successfully killed off Levi’s chances of a boner. He was half hard and fading, and he huffed out a sigh.

“Don’t look disappointed,” Levi laughed at a steadily pouting Eren, “I’m not going anywhere. Gimme a minute, we’ll be back in business in no time.”

“I should hope so.” Eren said, bristling a little. “Unless this is just your body’s way of telling you that you’re not attracted to me?”

Levi was mostly sure he was joking, and thus rolling his eyes was the correct response.

“You’d better get ready to eat those words.”

“Is that all I’ll be eating?” Eren ventured, looking not even remotely like a virgin as his expression panned from sultry to a shit-eating grin the longer Levi squinted at him.

“Seriously? You can talk like that, but you’ve never had sex?”

Eren shrugged. “Sexual appetite is just like any other hunger. I improvised.”

“You cheeky little fucker. I’m obliged to inform you that making vague references to cannibalism makes for pretty shitty foreplay.”

Eren snickered, but didn’t tease him further.

Instead, he explored. Wandering fingers slinked up Levi’s thighs, looking in vain for ticklish spots. Eren pouted again when he found none, ignoring the smug look Levi sent his way, and continued upwards. Squeezed at Levi’s hips, kneaded at his sides, watching the raven soak up the attention, shifting in subtle ways a little differently each time he was touched.

Watched, also, as even this random caressing had Levi sighing, back to throbbing in no time.

Finally, _finally_ , Eren glanced between them, pushing Levi’s flushed cock back against his belly to appreciate the trinkets that glittered beneath. The metal of his piercings were warmed from Levi’s skin, heated with arousal. Eren thumbed at the higher of the two, intrigued with the noise it pulled from the raven. Personally, Eren couldn’t imagine why anyone would allow such a tender place to be adorned in this manner. Even the usual locations for piercings seemed over the top. Who would just shove a chunk of metal through their ear, of their own free will? It had to be uncomfortable. But Levi didn’t seem to have suffered any kind of trauma from the experience. Judging by his reactions, Levi quite enjoyed having the adornments.

The black inked patterns that marked Levi’s flesh were not rendered more sensitive in arousal, Eren found. He had wondered if perhaps the markings were to enhance sensation. Some mating perk, perhaps? Apparently not – they were markings of memories wished to last. Symbols to display areas of a person’s inner identity.

The dark shapes suited Levi, made him look more vicious. His face and cock held metal, and ink sang vivid memory on his pale flesh.

And now, naked beneath Eren, Levi made for quite the vision. Petite, yes, for a male. Not feminine though, Eren recognised, as he was in no way coy or slight. Not rounded and soft, without the gentler curves of a female. Levi was made small but he was no weakling. Built of cords of muscle and sinew and strong bones, his skin stretching taught with each breath that rose and fell in Levi’s chest.

Waiting, probably for Eren. The demon realised he had been staring, playing with the hardened flesh in his hands but mostly in absentminded thought. Focusing again, Eren could feel the insistent throb of blood that swelled Levi’s arousal until it was flushed and straining, hot in Eren’s hand. The brunet fisted the length loosely and repeated what he knew, up and down, listening for any change in Levi’s breathing.

Eren cocked his head to the side slightly, observing.

He wanted to learn this, to know Levi intimately. It might be tricky, but Eren knew he wouldn’t mind if he had to spend the rest of eternity learning the ins and outs of Levi’s body, what made him squirm and gasp and plead.

Eren had been robbed of any chance to learn since he’d woken up into consciousness in a world of fire and pain, with death lurking around corners for the unwary. So many missed chances, and now this opportunity to learn and experience – to be able to feel more than two modes of nothingness or pain. And pleasure, as it turned out, was _good_. It was a heady sensation, distracting in the nicest way. Something worrying and distracting that made one vulnerable, but in the nicest of ways. Eren’s body was eagerly receptive to Levi’s touch and maybe the raven had an unfair advantage, being who he was, but Eren had no plans to let him onto that anytime soon. Better, first, to become familiar with this currently languid creature, watchful and interested in a lazy kind of way.

Levi didn’t seem self-conscious under Eren’s gaze, teal eyes roaming over limbs and the taught skin of Levi’s stomach as he lay stretched out. The lazy sprawl of arms about Levi’s head, the slight trail of coarse hair that slinked from navel to groin. Eren took it all in, tracing familiar patterns and parts that made up the raven-haired man laying before him.

“I don’t know where to go from here.” Eren admitted with a sigh.

His thumbs pressed absent patterns into Levi’s thighs and for a long moment the raven didn’t speak, basking in the simple attention.

“What do you want to do?” Levi asked, leaving a moment of quiet for Eren to think. “Something new? Something simple? Blowjob, handjob? Both? You know a few things. There’s more than one option here and we don’t have to push into anything new if you’re not feeling it.”

Eren deliberated, worrying his lower lip with his teeth as he thought.

Levi arched a brow at him. “Want me to teach you sixty-nine?”

The brunet squinted at him, like Levi might just be making things up at that point.

“I want to mate you.” Eren said the words with resolve, but there was still confusion in his eyes.

“It’s not that hard to do.” Levi admitted. He was watchful for any sign that Eren wasn’t sure. “The basics are pretty straightforward.”

“The basics.” Eren repeated, eyes trained somewhere on Levi’s stomach. There was a little frown etched between the brunet’s brows.

“Sure.” Levi went on. “Foreplay. Prep. Dick out of pants. Dick in ass. Make like a piston and go for it until presto, orgasm.”

Eren’s nose wrinkled more and more with every blunt comment that fell out of Levi’s mouth, and by the end of it the raven was smirking.

“Or I could just suck you off and we can call it a day?” Levi suggested with a playful twitch of his eyebrows.

He made a grab for Eren’s middle, watching the demon make a face at whatever thought was rolling through his mind as Levi sent them tumbling to the side. He mouthed at the ridge of a rib, teeth scraping gently while Eren considered his options. He whined when teeth assaulted the softer skin of his side, soothed by gentler lips a moment later.

“Don’t stress yourself out, kid. We have time.”

“I don’t want to wait.” Eren shook his head. “My every moment of existence has been spent in waiting. Waiting for a moment’s peace, waiting to be stronger, to have safety. I’ve waited enough, and I won’t wait for this now.”

“Amen to that.” He said, before Eren sent him a wry look and he remembered. “Oh shit. Sorry, force of habit I guess. That’s not insulting to you or anything?”

“If it was, you’d know.”

 

It was decided. Levi left Eren waiting in the middle of the bed while he hunted for this miraculous creation that was the so-called lube. It got tossed back at Eren, who stared at the tube with zero idea of what he was supposed to do with it.

Eat it? Open it? Leave it alone?

Levi returned with a little packet and a lecture for Eren about condoms and STIs that the demon seemed highly offended by. After some dubious argument, Levi relented on the condom issue. He made a good show of his reluctance, sighing heavily as he replaced the little packet in the nightstand, wondering aloud about the mess that was to come, until Eren whined his frustration.

Poor kid was practically humping the bed at this point, and Levi laughed at him.

“What am I supposed to do with this? Do we need it? Can we start now? Eren fired off questions the moment Levi returned to him.

Levi blinked and found himself pushed down, smothered with eager kisses, and he indulged in the needy attention for a moment before bothering to answer.

“Yes we’ll need it.”

Eren leaned back and snatched it up, squinting at the tube.

“Lube is good.” Levi assured the brunet, shimmying his way up the bed to grab at pillows. “The lube is your friend.”

Eren looked confused. “It…is?”

Levi levelled him with a flat look. “It sure as hell is, cos you’re not going anywhere near this ass without it. So get familiar.”

By the time Eren broke away from his odd staring contest with said lube, Levi was snuggling down into a comfy nest of pillows. His head was propped up to watch, which concerned Eren for some reason, like he needed to put on some sort of show that he had no idea how to perform.

Levi could see his panic, but Eren made himself speak before he could freak himself out.

“Alright.” He took a breath. “How much do I need?”

“Enough to cover your fingers.” Levi made a rubbing gesture with his hands, like one might spread liquid soap. “Usually I’d say less is more, you get better friction that way, but it’s entirely depending on personal preference. It’s been a while since I did this so go nuts with that stuff.”

“Okay.”

“Rub your fingers together.” Levi instructed, keeping an eye on everything Eren was doing. “Yeah, that’s good. It gets evened out that way, so you’re less likely to lose a great glob of it onto the sheets, and you’re warming it up too.”

Eren glanced up, raising an eyebrow. “And that’s good?”

Levi nodded. “Cold lube in the ass isn’t a good thing unless it’s a fucking hot day, and even then it’s startling if you’re not expecting it. Unless you’re into ice dildos, I guess.”

The brunet let that pass, seeming to realise that ice dildos had nothing to do with what they were doing right then.

“Alright.” Eren nodded, staring at his now-slicked hand with some kind of bemused determination. “Can I…can I touch you now?”

“Go for it.”

Levi figured he should have anticipated the rushed way Eren threw himself into the task. Barely a teasing touch and he was trying to push in, had two fingers in to the first knuckle right off the bat, and Levi almost kicked him in surprise.

“Christ fuck, Eren!” Levi hissed, tensing briefly. “One at a time!”

Eren stilled, one hand hovering in the air where he’d pulled it back to. The other unmoving inside the raven.

“I’m s-sorry.” The brunet stammered, still frozen.

Levi rolled his eyes and smacked him across one side with a spare pillow.

“Come on, come on.” He complained. “Before I kick you off this bed. Slowly, for the love of fuck.”

Carefully Eren shifted his hand until only one finger remained inside the smaller male, and when Levi breathed out a relieved sigh the brunet figured he was okay to start again.

He found himself distracted quite quickly, feeling Levi’s wetted insides and the heat that tensed occasionally around his exploring finger. Eren caught himself panting, eager to know what the raven would feel like wrapped around his cock.

He found himself stopped more than once, Levi adding more lube to his fingers as they were added. Two, then three. Levi insisted on a fourth, seeming like he was having a delightful time while Eren panicked about making a wrong move and getting a foot to the face for his trouble. But Levi didn’t kick him, mostly rolled his hips back onto Eren’s questing fingers.

When Levi shooed him away at last, Eren heaved out an enormous breath of relief that he hadn’t even know he’d been holding in. Levi had laughed at him for a good minute, snickering at Eren’s pout and helpfully slicking his shaft.

Eren hovered over his waiting human, letting himself be comforted and pampered with kisses while he fretted away. Apologised over and over again, without having even done anything.

He quietened at last when Levi got a hold of his cock, guiding Eren’s hips closer with his free hand. Lined them up, all the while smirking at Eren’s look of worry. He really had no idea what to expect, poor kid. Eren looked like Levi would sooner bite him than be tender, but he followed the raven’s gentle coaxing anyway. Pushed his hips forward, slipped his cockhead inside, and Eren’s gasp was accompanied by an odd light.

He froze, eyes glowing brilliantly all of a sudden, and a throaty sound reached Levi’s ears…not unlike a growl. Eren’s head fell forward, his mouth open around shaky breaths. He lunged for Levi’s throat, but the bites Levi felt were part of aggressive kisses, not the kind of aggression that the raven had been expecting.

Eren jerked, yelping at whatever sensory overload he was feeling when he pushed himself deeper.

Levi made a sharp noise of reprimand, similar to that of pulling up a dog upon finding it misbehaving. He took advantage of Eren’s dazed state.

“Oi. Cut that shit out. I swear if you go all cannibal on me I will throw you out the nearest window.” Levi closed firm fingers around Eren’s chin and yanked his jaw to the side, forcing those glowing eyes towards the window. “That one right there. Understand, brat?”

Eren whined then, wrenching his eyes shut and breathing harshly through his nose to distract himself. His arms were shaking badly where they held the younger male up. Levi let his grip loosen, fingers retracting to allow Eren to speak if he was able.

Eren wasn’t speaking. He was making a lot of noise, though. Breathing hard, whimpering like a distressed canine.

The brunet seemed reluctant to open his eyes, probably still struggling to get the glowing orbs back to normal. He did speak, though his voice was rough all of a sudden.

“It’s not…that kind of hunger.”

Levi almost frowned, almost wondered what Eren meant by that, but understanding came to him too quickly for confusion.

“Hm. Not so bad, then. Just keep the window threat in mind.”

Eren made a throaty sound, perhaps a laugh but Levi couldn’t be sure. He looked amused enough, although some kind of desperation lingered in the tense angles of his body, in the darkness of his eyes when they blinked open again – glowing pools of blue-green light with blackened pupils swelling with growing lust.

“Well?” Levi prompted, squeezing down on what Eren had gotten inside, tormenting the sensitive flesh and crumbling whatever resolve the brunet clung onto. “Are you going to keep going with this ‘just the tip’ strategy? Or, dare I fucking hope, are you actually going to fuck me some time before I die?”

If Levi had expected some kind of harsh response or quick thrust, he was disappointed. He let Eren carry on at his own pace, however slow that was. Bit by bit, what had to have been centimetre by agonising centimetre, Eren pushed further, jaw slack and eyes hopelessly staring at Levi’s face. Levi didn’t even know if Eren could see him. The kid looked lost. Happy enough, but lost to whatever he was feeling.

He didn’t seem to be coping well with the sudden overload of sensation – too sensitive to last. Even the pressure was too much, without him even moving.

Eren got his hips flush against Levi’s rear but he was already shaking by that point, hands gripping the sheets by Levi’s shoulders so tightly that he heard them tear, tremors running through every inch of him. Levi wasn’t surprised when Eren came, having barely moved. His panting broke into a pitching noise of pleasure and a terrible shudder crawled through him from the base of his spine to the top. He tensed and wailed and throbbed inside Levi as he spilled himself, Levi just chuckling quietly and massaging the brunet’s scalp.

“That’s not what I meant by go nuts with the lube, Eren.” He teased.

“S-Sorry.” Eren managed and Levi couldn’t help the twitch he gave at the roughened tone the demon had.

Levi smirked into the quiet of the room, Eren collapsed over him, panting against his neck like he was dying. He managed a lick, tongue trailing lazily over Levi’s neck a couple of times. Hot, wet, kind of gross. Levi figured it was meant to be affectionate.

Eren’s breathing, while uneven, seemed content.

“That’s…not how it’s supposed to happen?” Eren asked in that pleasure roughened voice of his, seeking clarification.

Levi snorted and said, “No.” He didn’t sound particularly disappointed. “Don’t worry, though; I’m not letting you get off so easily.”

Eren made a dazed sound of mild alarm when Levi tensed around him, tormenting oversensitive nerves. The demon backed up with a whimper, forcing shaky limbs to obey him, and slipped free of Levi’s heat with a harsh pant. He collapsed again, further down this time, and arranged himself to lay a cheek against Levi’s thigh while the rest of him sprawled lower down the bed. Eren’s eyes were back to normal now, just darkened pupils smothering irises, low-lidded eyes gazing up at Levi.

“I don’t suppose you’re at all satisfied?” Eren asked.

He managed to look hopeful.

Levi smirked at the ceiling.

“Well I’d heard first times were pretty short but that was some kind of record.” Levi said, grinning when Eren made a face at him, weary for the moment.

He didn’t have the shame in him to look embarrassed, just relaxed and sated, limbs heavy and skin warm. They hadn’t even had time to work up a sweat. Levi looked between them, then at the ceiling again, and wanted to laugh at the situation. Couldn’t quite manage to, although he shook briefly with suppressed laughter. Eren, sensing the tremors, smiled against his leg and pressed a lazy kiss to the hot skin there.

“Little shit,” Levi muttered, “you’d better have some amazing recovery stamina.”

Eren arched an eyebrow at the words but didn’t say anything. He just watched as Levi sighed and pushed a hand down his stomach, fingers curling around what lasting arousal he still had. It wouldn’t take much to get him throbbing again and Levi set to work on that, letting Eren watch him play.

He gasped in pleasant surprise when Eren crawled over him again, looking adorably determined. Levi finally laughed when Eren did him the courtesy of preparing him again, like it didn’t even occur to him not to bother. What a gentleman. Levi almost scared the boy to death when Eren managed to find his prostate, and Levi guessed moaning could sound rather alarming if you weren’t expecting them. Eren hovered like he thought the raven was in pain, only to be pulled into a breathless kiss. He got the message, encouragement, and worked that sweet spot until Levi had to physically stop him.

“Cut it out, you little shit. I’m going to cum, I said.”

“Then do it.” Eren had retorted, confused when Levi squirmed away.

But then he was pulling Eren to him again, and the brunet needed no further guidance. He was somewhat better prepared this time around, still overwhelmed at that first, intense sensation of penetration. That heat that wrapped around his length was devastatingly good, and Eren had to be reminded to move at all.

Every sound that left his mouth made Eren want to hide his face, but it was flushed anyway and he wouldn’t have been able to willingly stop if he’d tried. Levi got his legs around Eren’s waist, and it must have done something spectacular for him for the little man all but howled.

Eren felt bad for the neighbours for a moment.

When he finished for the second time, pushed as deeply as he could go, Levi worked him through it. The sensation was so intense it was almost unbearable, and Eren writhed helplessly, unable to even help Levi finish. The raven stroked himself through his own completion, and he looked just as satisfied as Eren felt.

Despite the sheepish feeling that he could have done a lot better, should have been more attentive, shouldn’t have gotten so caught up in his own pleasure, Eren felt happy. He couldn’t explain it, the overwhelming high that smothered him, made him pull Levi close and kiss him, lazy and deep. Eren felt like sleeping, even as Levi smacked at his arm weakly, demanding to be released so they could both clean up.

Ah yes, this was the mess Levi had predicted.

It did feel messy. Eren rolled his hips where they were still pressed against the raven’s, and felt them both tense and hiss at the overstimulation. Giggling moments later, Eren enjoyed the sticky intimacy. How wet Levi was inside, pumped with Eren’s seed twice over. Still squeezing around him every so often in aftershock, and Eren winced but refused to pull out. Not yet. Just a bit longer.

He held tight to the docile, languid little human in his arms, and allowed himself to purr.

Levi prodded at him. “You can nap after we’ve had a shower. The global effort to save water can wait, but hygiene cannot.”

“Five more minutes.” Eren complained, like he was being prodded to rouse for breakfast rather than being scolded to get clean.

The eye roll Levi gave was almost audible, Eren thought. But the raven didn’t argue, allowing them a moment of peace.

“I still feel gross.”

Eren smiled.


	25. Fine Dining

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we go with chapter 25 finally. It's only been a bunch of days since I posted anything. I am officially trash. But on the upside this chapter is loooooong! Seriously, I had to cut out some parts or this baby would have hit 9000+ words O_O Hopefully that can somewhat make up for the lapse in updates.  
> Ooh! Also, I have drawn what Eren is wearing in this chapter and it is up on my tumblr (haberkonium.tumblr.com) as well as a picture reference for what Levi is wearing, although I didn't get around to anything more than a basic pencil sketch of poor Levi so it's not posted.  
> Anyway, enough rambling.  
> Enjoy!

“It's not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving. I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together.” – Jack Johnson, Better Together.

***

 

“I hate you.”

“Pfft!”

The bathroom was rather busy come Friday afternoon. Levi adjusted his collar by the mirror while Eren took his sweet-ass time getting ready to shower, smiling away to himself while the raven-haired man rolled his eyes.

“This was your crummy idea to begin with, brat.”

“Did you seriously just say crummy?”

Levi glowered at his reflection in the mirror, breaking his own eye contact to roll the cuffs of his shirt back to just past his wrist. The raven fixed his tie, shiny grey with black stripes that ran diagonally. Tailor-made black trousers contrasted his shirt nicely, and a tan belt looped about his waist.

Over a white dress shirt, Levi pulled on a light grey waistcoat with four dark buttons which the raven quickly fastened. He slipped a black vest over the top of that which hung open, connected at the front by a simple loop of silver chain across his stomach.

Not too shabby, Levi thought as he eyed himself in the mirror again, deciding against wearing a coat. It wasn’t that cold out and he didn’t really want to have to go looking for one of his suit jackets anyway.

The raven-haired man glanced down at the metal laying on the vanity, the piercings which he had taken out, and sighed.

Louder than he'd meant to as the sound caught Eren's attention.

“You're not going to wear them?”

It was a hassle having to take them off, especially when it wasn't for something practical like work, but above all Levi didn't want to bring down the night if people looked at him in that funny way people do. Like having metal on his face somehow made him a freak, the subject of hushed conversations in the background. It would only serve to make Eren cross, angry, or worse...upset.

Levi could handle anger, could deal with a moody brat casting sullen glares over his shoulder...but he wouldn't have a clue how to help the boy if the whispers made him sad.

At last, after an extended silence, the raven exhaled. “Nah, I'd better not.”

Eren didn't seem to have expected that, frowning. “Why?”

Always with the questions, Eren was like a stumbling child at times. It was all Levi could do to be there and guide the boy's steps.

“It's not the sort of place that would appreciate that kind of...appearance.” The raven said, hoping that his words would be enough to quell the boy's curiosity.

It did not.

Instead, Eren's features took on a rather serious expression. “And why should that stop you?”

Levi frowned over at the boy. “Because it'll draw attention.”

“Good. Wear them anyway.” Eren said, sounding unexpectedly firm. “We shouldn't both have to hide.”

The sound of metal scraping gently against tiles reached Levi's ears as he held the boy's gaze. Eren scooped up the accessories and held them out in an open palm. At last, the raven scoffed.

“You persistent little shit.” He muttered, shaking his head with a smirk as he snatched up the offered items.

Eren watched with a pleased smile as Levi reattached the piercings, instantly adding an air of danger to the smaller male's appearance. The brunette approved the change.

The raven spent his next moments fussing over the boy and matching shirts with jackets and pants. While he went about forming a full outfit for the brat to wear, Eren showered at last. Levi grew impatient with the boy's leisurely manner of drying and stepped in to help the kid towel off. If the pleased look on Eren's face was anything to go by, the brat had been hoping for exactly that. Being fussed over by the smaller male was becoming one of the brunette's favourite things, and Levi was more than happy to do things for the boy if it meant that he could save time.

Clothes chosen and slipped onto the brunette's lean form left the pair finally ready to get going. Eren was looking damned fine; Levi was very pleased with his work.

The brunette had donned a beige and maroon checked shirt and a black and white striped tie that Levi had fixed for him. The raven hadn’t been able to dissuade the brat from wearing his faded jeans but the stained navy went almost too well with the coat Levi had had made especially for the boy. It was maroon in colour and hugged the brunette’s body nicely. There were eight large metal buttons attached the front and Eren had done up only the bottom four. Normally the raven would have fixed the rest, but having the top four left unfastened added an odd sense of uniformity to the look.

“Damn…” Eren murmured, appraising himself in the mirror beside Levi, “is it just me, or are we severely attractive right now?”

Levi chuckled at that. “It isn’t just you.”

 

The Rose was as decadently decorated as ever, covered in roses true to its name and almost beckoning with its friendly yellow lighting. The restaurant was tucked away in a part of the city that Eren had never seen before and the two men had to take a cab to reach it. Levi was unwilling to drive when there would be alcohol available and it was much too far to walk. But they were dropped off a block away when the raven-haired man decided that he didn't want to show up climbing out of a garish yellow taxi.

Levi was fully prepared to act like a properly behaved human being, but of course Eren soon fixed that, looping a lazy arm about the smaller male's waist and hugging him possessively against his side.

“You're really trying to make an impression, aren't you?”

Eren's mouth quirked up at one side and he exhaled through his nose instead of laughing. “As long as people know to keep their hands off of you, then I'll behave.”

“And if they don't?”

The boy didn't reply, but an amused sound did form in his throat, the noise somewhere between a hum and a chuckle.

Eren kept his eyes straight ahead, but Levi didn't miss the flash of pearly teeth as Eren grinned. The boy had a strange way of smiling sometimes; managing a perfect balance of charm and menace. It could be downright unsettling, especially when the raven wasn't sure what the kid was planning. Not all that long ago such an expression would have set the man's nerves on edge. Now it made him shake his head.

“Don't do anything that might compromise your cover.”

“I wouldn't dream of it.”

The girl on staff that spotted them from the doorway of The Rose was instantly drawn to look at the way the two males never separated, keeping up a casual stride as they approached. Her initial expression of scrutiny crumbled into shock when the men drew nearer.

A boy and some kind of street punk. Not exactly their usual customers, but as long as they paid and behaved, they would be welcome.

Levi wasted no time with greetings other than a simple 'hey' when the youth greeted them at the door.

“We have reservations, under Zoe or Berner.” The raven made a face, unsure which of the two names their party would be booked under. “One of the two.”

Thankfully the lady on staff was very obliging. “Let's have a look...um, ah, yes of course. Reservations for Zoe and Berner, table for eight?”

“That's right.” Levi nodded, silently thanking Hanji for making reservations under two names.

She always did know when his attention would lapse.

Their young attendant smiled and snapped her book shut with a pleasant, 'Right this way, Sirs'.

The pair followed after her, being led in through the foyer. The high ceiling was supported by great pillars and carved into the structures were thorny vines. Indeed, everywhere one looked, the ‘rose’ theme could be seen. All of the directional signs were painted in an elegant red font and many crystal vases decorated the walls and tables.

“Will you two be wanting anything to drink just yet?” The girl attendant asked, looking over her shoulder at the pair following.

Levi shook his head. “No, thank you. We'll wait.”

“Of course.” She smiled, far friendlier than anything the raven would have expected, and led them into the main room.

It was like a great hall out of a movie, the kind of enormous room that great kings would hold feasts in. Many carved wooden tables lined the room from the walls out into the middle of the space.

Their guide stretched out a slender arm, pointing towards the middle of the room. “Yours is the table by the centre column,” she informed them, giving one last beam and a little bow, “have a wonderful evening.”

Eren sent the girl a pleasant smile. “Thank you very much!”

The girl left with a nod, heading back out towards the foyer.

Levi noticed the way the brunette's façade fell the moment that the boy looked away from the girl’s retreating back, his smile dropping as teal eyes scanned the room. Ever the observant and paranoid brat, the raven had to wonder why the boy had insisted on coming tonight if he was going to be this edgy.

Jabbing his elbow into the brunette’s ribcage, Levi caught the boy’s eyes. “Oi, what's wrong?”

Eren almost made a face, his brows drawing together minutely as if to scrunch up but then smoothing out again seconds later.

The boy gave a soft little sigh, averting his gaze. “Nothing. It's just a lot of people.”

So many humans beings gathered in one place created more than enough of a tantalising scent to make Eren remember the fact that he was more than a little peckish. The brunette was all too keenly aware of the last time he had fed…and all of the days in between that time and now. Too long to be considered safe, really, but he couldn't bear the thought of parting from his human so soon after bonding.

Levi, however, didn't seem so inclined to remain close as he lent away from the boy's hold a little.

“So?” The raven questioned, arching an eyebrow. “You've dealt with people before.”

Eren managed a humourless laugh. “If by dealt, you mean eaten, then yes.”

As sullen as the idea of going another day without a proper meal made the brunette, he was still easily chipper enough to make comments that would make Levi squirm.

“Oh for fuck's sake, Eren.” The raven grumbled. “Not when we're about to eat.”

Eren only grinned, letting Levi slip free of his hold as the pair moved further into the restaurant.

Of course Hanji was the first person they saw, but it took a good few seconds for Eren to recognise her at all. She looked like nothing short of royalty in a golden dress that fell to pool about her feet. An intricately designed pattern of gold and bronze leaves wrapped around the dress, forming the one shoulder strap holding up the material. The leaves then tapered off to decorate the rest of the garment. It was hard to believe that Hanji would ever dress differently.

The brown-haired woman had also removed her glasses, yet another factor that rendered her an almost completely different person.

“I guess you can't call her fore-eyes or shitty glasses tonight, huh Levi?” Eren leaned down to whisper, smirking a little as he did so.

A sharp jab to his ribs had the boy straightening, rubbing the sore spot that Levi had elbowed.

“Meany.”

The raven rolled his eyes, managing to catch Hanji's gaze as they drew nearer. The woman's eyes widened and she smiled, looking absolutely ecstatic but for once without the manic edge.

“Levi? You came! And you brought Eren?” The brown-haired woman clasped her hands together and let out a happy sigh that tapered off into a little laugh. “I honestly thought that no one would bother showing up at all.” She shrugged, pausing to think. “Well…maybe Mike and Nanners, but you two? Nope.”

“Thanks for the fucking vote of confidence.” Levi muttered as he reached the table.

Eren's brow furrowed a little. “Um, Hanji, what happened to your glasses?”

“Hmm?” The woman looked at him with a little frown of confusion colouring her features before understanding replaced it. “Oh, I took them off because they might have clashed with the look I was going for. Do you like it?”

The brown-haired woman gave a little twirl, causing the dress to spin and rustle softly. It really did look like some kind of man-made whirly wind; a tiny, playful tornado of golden leaves.

Eren smiled. “It's lovely. You look like Lady Autumn.”

Hanji let out a light-hearted sounding laugh, steadying herself after the brief spin.

“Aw, you're too much.” She smiled, turning her shining eyes on Levi. “What do you think, Mr Grinch?”

Levi resisted the urge to roll his eyes at yet another stupid nickname, focusing instead on the way his friend looked. She had really put some effort into the night’s ensemble.

“Not bad.” The raven allowed, giving a nod. “Not bad at all. Careful though, looking like that might just make Moblit propose.”

The excited look on Hanji’s face caused an almost playful smirk to appear on the raven’s face.

“Oh gosh, do you think so?” The brown-haired woman asked, her eyes brighter than ever.

It was just proof to Levi that despite all of her eccentric mannerisms, Hanji was still a human being with perfectly normal wishes. He was quite pleased that she had calmed down a bit for tonight.

“You never know.” The raven murmured back, glancing around. “But speaking of Moblit, where is he?”

Now Hanji laughed, the delighted aura fading a little to be replaced with the woman’s usual air of humour. “Well he _was_ parking the car but Lord knows what adventure he's off on now.”

Levi gave a snort, shaking his head at the thought. It would be just like Moblit to get accidentally caught up in some kind of misadventure on the one night when he had somewhere to be.

“While we wait then, I've been wondering,” the raven-haired man returned his attention to his brown-haired friend, “since you took off your glasses are you walking blind right now? Or did you finally take my advice and go for contacts?”

Hanji grinned, smoothing out the fabric of her dress.

“The latter. Contacts aren't something that I'd like to make permanent, but I can handle them for a little while.”

The doors opened then, catching their attention, and in walked a familiar face. Levi's eyes widened in a rare display of shock as his eyes travelled over the man approaching. He was wearing a shimmering emerald green suit with a black tie and shiny black shoes. It was the shade of the man's clothes that surprised the raven. Moblit had never seemed like the overly flashy type and this seemed almost funny because of it.

“It's always the quiet ones.” Levi muttered to himself, exchanging a knowing look with Hanji before speaking again as the man got closer. “Don't tell me, you ran over a cat and had to rush it to hospital? Am I right?”

Moblit looked up, a confused expression playing about his features. “Huh?”

“Or maybe the staff wouldn't let you come in because your clothes are so bright that they're an OH&S issue, is that it?”

“He's only teasing.” Hanji murmured to a perplexed looking Eren, her smile a little less bright as she spoke. “What do you think, though? If I'm Lady Autumn, is Moblit Lord Spring?”

When the boy's eyes flickered curiously towards the green clad man who had stopped by Hanji's side, the brown-haired woman decided that a little clarification was in order.

“Okay, introductions.” Hanji announced, clapping her hands together without actually making that loud of a noise. “Moblit, this is Eren. Eren, this is Moblit.” The woman gestured between the two, smiling in delight before looking back to Eren. “He and I live together, kind of like you and Levi.”

Moblit did not look very surprised to hear Hanji say something like that so casually and Eren decided that the woman must have already told this new man about them. Watchful blue-green eyes regarded the man with hair that was somewhere between being brown and blonde as he extended a hand.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Eren.” Moblit said, offering a small smile.

He sounded kind of shy, a quiet spoken man that just so happened to be the perfect contrast to the boisterous woman he stood beside. Eren stared at the hand held out to him for only a brief moment before he took it, smiling.

“Likewise.”

Levi took the opportunity of actually speaking first rather than letting silence sneak its way in between them. “So, where are the others? Don't tell me we're the first to show up?”

“Actually you are, for once.” Hanji chuckled, looking around. “I'm still having a hard time believing it. You should bring Eren to these things more often if it'll mean you get here on time.”

“Maybe I just want to get this over with as quickly as humanly possible?”

“Sure, sure.” The brown-haired woman nodded, smirking. “You can't fool me, Lever. Somewhere in that icy heart of yours, you're pleased to have everyone getting back together. Except for...well...”

Hanji shot the raven an apologetic look and Levi shrugged. “Yeah. Except for him.”

Eren wished that he didn't understand the mournful little looks that the others shared. He wished that he didn't know exactly who they were talking about...or rather...not talking about. It was maddening to think that even after all of the tangled up bullshit that Erwin had dragged them all through, he was still coming along to a reunion. The idea didn't make any sense at all and suddenly Eren couldn't keep quiet about his thoughts.

“Why are you guys even still friends with Erwin?”

The silence that followed seemed almost...loud. There was still noise, voices murmuring in the background along with the clink of cutlery and the shuffling of feet or chairs scraping the wooden floor, but an almost tangible bubble of quiet seemed to have enveloped the four people standing by the table.

Ironically enough, it was Levi that broke the silence.

“It's not as simple as you'd like it to be, Eren.”

Whatever the brunette was expecting for an answer, he hadn't expected those words. Nor would he have ever imagined that Levi would be the one to say them...and yet there they were.

“He was...” the raven swallowed, trying to sort out his words, “he was always just...there. Not like a nuisance or anything, but he was there if you needed something.”

The conversation was starting to wade into emotional waters and Levi had never considered that to be a strong point of his. It was difficult for the raven to put across just how complicated the situation was, he just didn't have the skill for it. Thankfully, there was one person in their company who knew exactly what Levi was trying to say. And she always had.

“Erwin was like a rock for us all,” the brown-haired woman said softly, “he was a pillar of strength and support whenever times got a little rough. He always had an answer, not matter what the question was. There was always a solution. If you needed to talk, he would listen. If you needed someone to shout at, he'd take every harsh word without flinching.”

The raven nodded, arms folded across his chest and a far off look swimming in his eyes. “I hate to admit it, but that bastard was like a cornerstone in all of our lives. It's hard to just cut someone like that out of your life. Letting something like that go...isn't easy. In fact, for me, it's practically impossible. I've been trying for years and look where it got me.”

“But the things he did, Levi. How can you just...look past that? How could you forgive him?”

“I haven't. I'm not a good person like that, kid. I get angry, I hold grudges. But...” The raven seemed to struggle to find the right words to continue, tapering off with a heavy sigh.

“But there had to have been a reason for him to do something so rash.” Hanji finished, picking up where Levi had trailed off. “Erwin is always ready with an explanation for his each and every action. He never does things without thinking them through a thousand and one ways. There was always a plan, always a way out. Until one day he couldn't explain himself.”

At that point, even Hanji found it difficult to keep talking. Levi sighed out an affirmative 'yeah' before running a hand through his hair.

“Ah shit,” the raven grumbled, tossing his head a little, “I'm too sober for this kind of talk.”

“Ugh, you're right.” Hanji laughed, wiping a little unwanted moisture from her eyes. “We'll have to plan a proper drinking night for you and Eren to come along to my place.”

“Definitely.” Moblit agreed, placing a comforting hand on Hanji's shoulder.

Levi leaned against Eren's side a little, shaking his head at his own state of being.

“As good as that sounds, we still have to get through tonight before we make any new plans.” The raven muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Fuck, where the shit are Mike and company?”

Hanji let slip a knowing chuckle. “Oh, I'm sure they're still looking for the perfect outfit.” The woman smirked at some memory, shaking her head. “Remember how we were all sure that Mike was secretly a fashion queen?”

Levi gave a snort. “Shit, I'd forgotten. That was one of your better moments of drunken hilarity, four-eyes.”

“Uh-uh, no four-eyes tonight.” Hanji said with a triumphant laugh, waving a finger back and forth at the smaller man in playful reprimand. “You may refer to me as Duchess or Madame Zoe.”

“Get fucked.” Levi drawled back in reply.

It was always a bizarre wonder watching the two of them interact, falling into bickering each and every time no matter what the conversation was about. Eren smiled, looking between the pair and deciding to stir the fire a little.

“Duchess...” the brunette tested out the word, giving a little amused smile, “actually I kind of like that.”

Levi’s grey eyes snapped over to glower incredulously at the boy. “Don't you dare indulge her.”

The reaction only served to make the company chuckle, Eren, Hanji, even Moblit all snickering quietly at the raven’s concern.

“Don't worry, Levi,” Hanji said, hushing her laughter, “soon the others will get here and there will be twice as many people to distract me.”

The brown-haired woman nudged Moblit and the man smiled obligingly at her.

Looking up, Moblit’s eyes took on a light of recognition. “Speaking of which, here they come right now.”

True to his word, the pair in question was coming through the doors.

Nanaba looked stunning in a backless navy blue dress that almost seemed to shimmer under the lights, looking like the sky just before it turns pitch black. She had curled her flaxen hair and a pair of silver and crystal earrings hung from her lobes delicately. Somehow wearing a tuxedo made Mike look even taller. The fact that he actually had to duck under the doorway didn't help and Eren covered his mouth with a hand to hide his growing smile.

Levi sure had found himself some unusual companions, but the boy supposed that their strangeness allowed them to complement each other. Freaks banded together, strength and safety in numbers, that sort of thing. Eren could put up with the abnormalities for now if it meant that he would learn more about this world, this place and its people.

After all, learning about Levi's friends was the whole point of this little evening. Eren didn't want to be in a hundred mile radius of Erwin Smith, in fact he wasn't entirely certain that he would be able to resist shoving the man's nose through his skull and into his brain when the bastard finally showed up. If he bothered to come at all.

There was just something about Erwin...something that made Eren feel uneasy. At first he had thought that perhaps it was just because the man was still clearly infatuated with Levi and that was a danger to their budding relationship. But Eren was certain that the raven-haired man was his now...and yet that uneasy feeling had yet to leave him. Until it did, Levi was not safe in the boy's eyes.

More introductions were passed around and another conversation struck up between those gathered.

“Levi…” Mike’s eyes locked onto the smaller man’s form and he smiled just barely, “we didn’t think that you would come.”

Levi scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. “Is everyone going to say that?”

Nanaba chuckled quietly beside her partner. “Well it is you. Did you even plan on coming or did you change your mind last minute?”

“I can always go if you want?”

“Aw, don’t be like that.”

“It was a fucking joke, Hanji.”

The friends sat down at their table and were considering ordering when the last member of their party finally strolled in through the doors of The Rose.

Eren could smell him even before he turned, teal eyes narrowing infinitesimally as the unwelcome scent reached him, and the brunette cast a look over his shoulder.

“Guess who..?” The boy's voice murmured just loud enough for the raven-haired man seated beside him to hear.

Levi turned as well, frowning. “Well well...lucky last and loner, Mr Smith has arrived.”

Erwin was wearing a grey suit with a dark blue shirt that peeked out at his collar. There was no tie, which seemed odd for a man who seemed so organised. Eren decided that it had to be on purpose, this man wasn't the kind of person to skip over detail or make a mistake.

It made him all the more dangerous.

Although a quick moment of scrutiny almost made Eren feel calm when he saw past the initial red buzzing behind his lids and noticed that Erwin had come alone. He had to make a serious effort not to smile, just managing to keep his face schooled into a calm mask of curiosity.

Levi raised an eyebrow at the blonde man’s surprised expression when their eyes met at last.

“What?” The raven muttered, somehow managing to sound irritated with just a single word leaving his mouth.

The taller man slowed his step a little, clearing his throat. “I didn’t think you would come along.”

Levi groaned out in frustration, letting his head loll back against his chair and rolled his eyes. “Well fuck, now everyone’s said it. Do you all just think that I’m an asshole? Is that it?”

The suggestion was denied through chuckles and for a moment Erwin seemed to think that no one would notice his lack of company.

Hanji, however, made no attempt to overlook the evidence at hand, calling out as the man drew closer. “Erwin, you didn't bring anyone?”

Bless Hanji, Eren thought to himself, albeit a total contradiction to the very creature that he was. Bless her for not tiptoeing around the fine details, instead digging them straight to the surface.

In Erwin's defence, he didn't look at all surprised or uncomfortable by the query.

“I did not.” The man said with a nod, but he waved away Hanji's questions, smiling. “I thought it would seem a little tasteless, under the circumstances.”

Silence enveloped those at the table for a moment, no one daring to speak or change the subject. It came as no surprise that everyone there knew the circumstances that Erwin was hinting at.

At least three of the four original friends were still in close contact with each other. Levi told Hanji all of the important details of his life when he felt troubled, and the woman passed anything relevant along to Mike who in turn would mention it to Nanaba, and of course Moblit knew everything that Hanji heard.

Not a single person was out of the loop, although some might think that Eren was.

Unfortunately for Erwin, they were wrong. A hundred thoughts and memories tore their way behind Eren's eyes as those unnervingly calm orbs locked onto Erwin. Lies and words whispered behind closed doors, promises and betrayal, pain and the aching, battered beating of a broken heart.

Oh yes...Erwin Smith would have earned himself a lovely little spot in hell right then and there if not for the grip on Eren's wrist. Levi must have known and he had a tight grasp on the boy's arm under the table. Something told Eren that it was in reprimand, not any attempt at seeking comfort. Levi was stronger than that.

Eren blinked towards the blonde as he neared their table.

Bringing someone along to such an event so soon after chasing down an attempt to fix things with Levi would have been tasteless indeed. The brunette scrunched up his nose at the thought, knowing full well that if Erwin had shown up with anyone tonight, he wouldn't have been able to stop himself from tearing the blonde bastard's head right off his stupid sculpted shoulders the second he came through the door.

Well played, oh master of the eyebrows. He would get to live another day...

But who knew about the day after that?

Greetings were passed around and finally everyone was seated. One of the waiters trotted over to take orders for beverages, but for now the people didn't feel like thinking about food. It was obvious to Eren that these people were still adjusting. They could chat but conversations didn't carry very far past banter.

Of course the boy should have known better than to expect Hanji to let that sort of thing go on for too long. In a moment of conversational lapse, she took her cue.

“So...” the brown-haired woman drew out the word on purpose, grinning at the glare it earned from her raven-haired friend across the table, “Ahaha, I'm sorry everyone. It's just so weird to have us all together again. So do we do this like an intervention circle? 'Hi my name is blah and I'm a blah' sort of thing?”

Levi snorted from across the table, reaching for his glass. “Shit no.”

Hanji laughed a little louder than was strictly polite, but it suited her. “Aw, Levi. Don't be such a party-pooper.”

“Don't start in on the poop references.” The raven muttered, wrinkling his nose before smirking. “They're all shitty jokes anyway.”

“Ahaha! Puns!” Hanji’s boisterous laughter carried through the room again, causing a few heads to turn but thankfully no one seemed to mind the noise. “Seeing as no one else wants to go first, I guess we'll ask Moblit.”

The man in question looked up, eyes growing minutely wider as he swallowed. “Me?”

“Oh yes,” Levi said, lips curving into a wry smile, “that way Hanji will pay attention.”

“Hey, I pay attention.” The woman defended, her grin looking completely out of place with her tone.

Levi chuckled dryly. “Just not in the conventional way.” The raven smirked at the mock-glare he was shot from across the table.

After the banter died down, the company looked expectantly at Moblit. The man swallowed again, letting slip a nervous laugh before he finally started to speak.

“Well, okay. I guess this is really for the benefit of Eren and Erwin, but I'm employed at Sina zoo.” Moblit informed, his tone growing more confident the longer he spoke. “I'm in charge of managing the reptile exhibits, although sometimes I just fill out forms.” He gave a shrug and a little smile. “Nothing too exciting there.”

“What about the time you had to move Madame Colossus to her new pen?” Hanji chuckled, nudging the man with her elbow as her eyes took on a mischievous flare.

Moblit paled a little, shivering at some memory. “I'd rather forget about it.”

The people at the table looked on curiously, wondering what it was that Hanji meant but not wanting to further distress her partner.

Erwin, however, chose to speak up. “Who is Madame Colossus?”

Hanji let out an impish giggle. “Our biggest python.”

Eren watched the exchange, noting the almost cheeky glint in the blonde man's blue eyes. So Erwin was just as mischievous as the rest of them, only he played it off as simple curiosity? Clever.

Levi clicked his tongue. “Shit, Hanj, didn't you learn better after that shitfest of a biology field trip?”

If Moblit had looked pale before, he was ghostly white now. Eren couldn't help but snicker a little. Levi was nowhere near as subtle as the big blonde, diving right in with no bother to make himself look innocent.

The story of the field trip was an interesting one, told through a lot of giggling and varying forms of laughter from the members around the table. Only Eren and Nanaba didn't know firsthand what had happened, but the others were more than ready to explain.

It had been their final year of high school, the last hurdle, and their biology teacher had decided to take them to a circus passing through town so that they could observe the different creatures that would be present. Personally, the kids had thought that the field trip was a load of horse shit, a crummy cover so that their teacher could meet up with her boyfriend and shirk her responsibilities the whole day. After passing through one of the tents, the kids had all wandered over to a man talking about snakes. They all had their turn of holding one, more as a dare than a desire, but when Moblit had stepped up as the last one of them to try it everything went south. The snake had been fine, not vicious or even venomous, but it had been very _very_ friendly. It had curled around Moblit's neck, just sitting there like a living necklace until it decided to go south and ducked down the boy's shirt, somehow winding up inside his trousers. The kids had thought that it was hilarious but Moblit, in a moment of sheer panic, tore off his pants to get the serpent away and accidentally took off more than he intended. The bystanders saw more than one snake that day and the poor guy had never lived it down.

“Shit, you should have seen it, Eren.” Levi snickered along with Hanji. “It was fucking priceless.”

“It was!” The woman agreed, almost crying as she slapped her hand against her leg. “Oh I wish we'd thought to record it or something.”

Moblit had his hands over his face, shaking his head slowly. Hanji clapped him on the back.

“Ah, relax, Mobi.” She grinned, still wiping a few tears of laughter from her eyes. “It was quality entertainment.”

More laughter ensued.

“Okay, my turn, my turn.” Hanji announced with a gleeful smile. “As most of you know, I too work at Sina zoo. I don't really work with many of the animals, though; I'm paid to experiment with new food samples and other dietary needs of the animals.”

“And for those of us who don’t know what that entails..?” Nanaba prompted with a smile.

The brown-haired woman smiled companionably and moved right along to explain. “It's my job to try and find better ways to take care of our friends in captivity, such as food, living arrangements, medicine. I even get to design some of the exhibits!”

Hanji went on to describe a few of the methods she had been testing to grow more nutritious foliage and just when Levi was beginning to grimace at the length of the tale, the brunette boy beside him came unexpectedly to the rescue.

“So, you work with your husband?” Eren piped up.

Moblit exhaled in a shocked rush and Hanji paused in her hypothesis long enough to laugh.

“Ah, Eren, you really are too sweet.” She smiled over at him, apparently having forgotten what she had been explaining before. “We're not married, just together. But yes, we do work at the same place. It's rather exciting because we both have different schedules that can chop and change, so we never know who's going to make it home first.”

But the woman had very good memory and she went to launch right back into her discussion when Levi let out a groan and slid down in his seat a little.

“Am I boring you, Lever?” Hanji laughed, raising amused brows at him.

“How could you tell?” The raven drawled back at her.

“It looks like you’re about to either throw a tantrum or mime out a death scene that ends with you slipping under the table.”

Levi exhaled in amusement, giving a languid roll of his eyes. “I’m not that theatrical.”

Hanji snickered across the table at him, straightening. “Relax; I won't bore you all with the details. I'd much rather tell you about the animals themselves. Is that okay, Levi?”

The raven made a show of pretending to consider the woman’s words. “Ah, I don’t really care. As long as you don't take all night describing their goddamned scales or whatever.”

“Of course.” The brown-haired woman beamed, settling forward to lean her elbows on the tabletop.

The woman went on to describe all seven of the dolphins that she had become attached to most recently. Dolphins were Hanji’s favourite animal, being a beautiful combination of smart and playful. She told the company a story about her two favourites among the dolphins in the exhibit, threatening to nickname them Levi and Eren when the raven started to grumble towards the end.

The threat was more than enough to shut the man up, although not without a complaint or two.

Levi's glare dissolved with a roll of his eyes. “I should have fucking known.”

“Oh, come on,” Hanji laughed, “it'd be adorable!”

“That is pretty sweet, actually.” Eren agreed from the sidelines, earning a sharp glare from Levi and laughter from most of the others.

Mike and Nanaba had their turn to speak next, and Eren finally got to hear how Levi was roped into the martial arts business. The boy was surprised that Mike actually spoke at all, having witnessed the man remain almost entirely silent for most of the night. He seemed like such a withdrawn guy, the kind of man who would sit back and watch things unfold without intervening until the last moment when he knew all of the facts. The enormous man had a relatively normal sounding voice, nothing like Erwin's voice; deep like an echo in a cave.

Levi was brief in his turn talking, ignoring Hanji's pestering until the woman finally moved along to Eren who stuttered through his made up story of college along with an occasional prompt from the raven beside him. And at last there was Erwin.

“Lucky last, Mr Smith.” Hanji beamed, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table. “Let's hear what you've been up to.”

“Well...my job isn't nearly as interesting as the rest of you.” The tall man said with a casual smile, sitting back in his seat.

“Oh come on,” Nanaba called, her tone light, “surely it can't be all that dull?”

“Very well,” the blonde allowed, raising his hands to pacify, “I suppose it isn't awful. I'm an advisor, an ambassador of sorts.”

“Liar.”

Levi snapped his head towards the sound, barely a breath of a whisper that had ghosted from Eren's lips. Grey eyes flitted around the table but no one else seemed to have heard the boy's accusation. Erwin was still speaking and Levi hurried to settle back into listening.

“I'm part of a specialised team of people working to bring cultures together by finding similarities within separate ways of life, which is part of the reason why I've been travelling to so many different parts of the world.”

Levi glanced sideways, just a subtle swivel of his eyes until he was looking over at Eren.

The brunette had a smile on his face, one that could only just pass as interest, and he had his chin propped up on one hand, his elbow resting on the table and his free hand drummed a feather-light beat against the tabletop. Lips curved only slightly, the boy was almost smirking as he watched Erwin talk. With a look like that, Levi figured that Eren didn't buy a single word that the other man was saying.

But why would Erwin lie?

_He's done it before, hasn't he..?_

With little knowledge of his own to go on and no instinct pointing out a lie, the raven chose to trust Eren's instincts. That kid had a million advantages; he could read every little movement, hear every beat of the hearts around him and dig up veins of truth hidden in tricking eyes.

Levi nearly jumped when those searching teal eyes flashed over to meet his gaze as though the boy had known all along that he was being watched. The raven arched an eyebrow in a silent query. Eren's lips quirked up a little at the side a fraction in response before his eyes darted back across the table.

Erwin spoke of politics, foreign countries and their customs until at last he announced that he had bored the company enough and left the next topic of conversation free for anyone to choose.

“I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm fucking starved.” Levi groused, shifting in his seat. “Are we actually going to eat?”

That was all the encouragement that people needed and no more than three minutes later the company were browsing menus and discussing the different types of food available.

Eren wasn't hungry for anything on the menu but he let Levi coax him into ordering some kind of fancy sounding pasta.

Idle chatter filled the air until the food arrived and Eren had never seen so much cutlery. Levi had been right when he had said that this place was fancy; there were more knives and forks than the brunette cared for.

“Don't listen to a thing that fucking Ken doll says,” Levi muttered after Erwin had tried to explain what each of the little forks were for, thoroughly confusing the boy, “a fork's a fork, pick one and stick with it.”

Hanji snickered. “This is great; Levi's been waiting for someone to pillage etiquette with for years!”

The raven smirked around the fork in his mouth, a small victory apparently as he and Eren were the only two who didn't bother utilising anything but the larger fork and a knife.

“Fuck the spoons too.”

The night was drawing on, leaning towards the later hours, and Levi started mentions of leaving for home.

It was then that Erwin made his move, or at least that's the way Eren saw it.

“Levi...”

It was the first time that the blonde man had spoken directly to the raven all night and an instant hush fell over the table as Levi's silver orbs flicked up, already narrowed.

“Erwin?”

The tall man sighed, looking the raven with determined blue eyes.

“Levi, I wanted to say that I understand.” Erwin began, inhaling deeply in a way that hinted that his next words would need the extra air. “I understand why you're angry and you have every right to be. Every right. I won't apologise...but that's not because I'm not sorry. I am,” the blonde man heaved a heavy sigh, “I wish I could take it back but I can't and we all know that offering an apology now would seem pretentious any way you look at it. But I can admit that I was in the wrong.

“I was young and foolish, believe it or not. I didn't have the experience that I do now and had I known how things would have turned out, I might have made a very different decision. But the choice has been made and I can't regret it for the rest of my life. Levi, you once said to me that we can't regret a choice once it has been made because nobody can tell you how it will turn out and you won't know the right choice until you make it or it passes you by. I didn't think too much on those words the day I left, but I've carried them with me ever since. I know I can't make it up to you or change the fact that I made the wrong choice. The best I can do is admit to my wrongs and pay the price I'm due...and pray that, at least someday, you decide to forgive me.”

Eren had to suppress a damned near overpowering urge to roll his eyes, settling for crossing his arms instead. He didn't want to have to sit here and listen to this bastard's sob story but he couldn't just up and leave without taking Levi with him. Thankfully the raven-haired man looked about as impressed with the tale as Eren was.

Levi had one hand up on the table, long fingers drumming a dull rhythm against the wood. But the raven didn't look all that angry...his face was carefully blank. And then he spoke.

“Jesus, Erwin, you make me sound like some sort of great fucking philosopher, spinning my words like that.”

It was a blunt sentence but Levi's tone wasn't exactly mad. Just irritated, which was often the way the raven sounded anyway.

Erwin, on the other hand, started smiling like he knew something. Like suddenly he wasn't afraid of being hated by the man across from him as if he was certain, beyond a single shred of doubt, that Levi wouldn't stay angry forever.

It made Eren feel sick.

The blonde man gave a quiet chuckle. “I might have polished the phrasing up a little, but you know cursing has never been my thing.”

The raven-haired male made a face across the table at him and Erwin's smile grew a little.

“That's probably why Levi swears enough for the both of you.” Nanaba said, hiding her smile behind a sip of her wine.

“Ahaha! It's true!” Hanji started to laugh, smacking her hand against the table.

Levi only shrugged.

It dawned on Eren then as he looked around the table, that no matter what had happened between these people in the past they still wanted to try for each other. Like a family tied together by blood commitment; suddenly it looked like the bad break-up had affected more than just the pair involved. Eren recalled how close the four, Mike, Levi, Hanji and Erwin, had been. As much as it pained him to recognise, he could see that they wanted to remain friends despite the strain. Even with that hurt, these people still knew each other like the back of their own hands. There was nothing more comforting than knowing that, at the end of the day, someone understood exactly how you felt, no matter what those feelings were.

Eren had known that very same feeling with his own comrades. Mikasa and Armin were the closest thing that Eren had to a family, and Levi probably felt the same way about the people there around the table.

It occurred to Eren that maybe he would never be able to bring the same level of comfort that these people could, even if he did know Levi so well.

“What's with that face?”

A low murmur in the boy's ear tore Eren from his thoughts and soon teal eyes met with knowing grey orbs.

Levi was half turned towards him in his seat, still leaning against the table a little. Those cold, hardened eyes seemed to thaw out a little as they roamed over the brunette's face, until the raven rolled his eyes and leaned a in little closer.

“Hey, stop it.” Levi said, frowning a little as he looked at the boy. “Whatever you're thinking, stop. I know that look and I don't need it on your face. Whatever self-depreciating bullshit you've got tumbling around in there, forget it.”

Eren blinked at the raven, leaning in as well to hear the low voice that was, at that moment, meant only for his ears.

“I won't say it often,” Levi's voice murmured, low and soft directly by his ear, “but you're worth the world to me, brat.”

The boy froze, his breath hitching in his throat for a second but the raven was already speaking again.

“Stop trying to convince yourself otherwise.”

The words were all but a whisper and Levi's lips pressed once against the shell of the brunette's ear before he sat back in his chair.

The brunette swallowed, leaning back as he fought the urge to smile like an idiot. Eren had never wanted to kiss Levi as badly as he did now, but for the sake of their company and Levi’s made up PDA allergies, he contained himself.

Pleasant warmth kept the boy distracted enough that the rest of the night seemed to fly by and before Eren knew it he was being helped back into the cab that would take him back to the apartment. Levi held the door like a proper gentleman and for once didn’t complain when Eren pulled him close.

“Has anyone ever told you that you look ravishing in formalwear?” Levi purred up over his shoulder, meeting Eren’s eyes in the window reflection.

“Not until just now.” The brunette admitted with a little smirk, bending his neck to nuzzle the raven’s shoulder.

Levi hummed lazily, letting Eren guide his head to the side so that the boy could nip at the smaller man's jaw.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah.” The raven replied, raising an eyebrow at the questioning teal eyes fixed on him. “Why wouldn't I be?”

“I was just making sure. After all the talk about-”

“Eren...I'm fine.” He assured the boy with a gentle peck to the bridge of Eren's nose. “Fuck I'm tired, though.”

The brunette huffed out a soft laugh, bumping his nose against Levi's.

“Straight to bed then?”

“Mm...”

The pair strolled up the stair at a languid crawl, pausing to lose themselves to a kiss every few steps and stumbling along until they needed air again.

A shower was definitely in order but Eren was able to coax the raven to simply stand under the stream of water with him, tangled in the boy's arms.

“Oi, don't go dozing off on me.” Levi groused through a yawn, the sound coming out as a soft whine in the back of the raven's throat.

Eren only smiled at that, his face buried against the smaller male's shoulder.

“That was a cute sound.”

“Shut up. I'm-” another yawn lapsed his sentence, much to the raven's annoyance, “-tired.”

The brunette only hummed, nuzzling Levi's shoulder and trailing cheeky kisses. Levi flicked the kid between the eyes and ducked out of the shower in the brat's moment of mock-offence when Eren made a scandalised sound. The boy chased after him, laughing the whole way as he scrambled after the sodden raven. Levi made a startled sound as a towel was flung abruptly over his head and the next second Eren had him, arms flung out to curl around the smaller man's waist.

“Tired, huh?” The brunette murmured teasingly, placing his lips between the raven's shoulder blades.

Levi grumbled with mock-petulance, tugging the towel from his head. “Gah, okay, you got me. I surrender, ah, don't bite me, you-o-oh no. No, not there, no!”

And so it was that Eren discovered the only places on Levi's body that were ticklish; the man's sides, around towards his back, as well as the backs of the raven's thighs.

“Eren, n-no-ah! I swear you'll pay for this!”

Levi's threats were nowhere near as intimidating when the man was struggling to force them out on the same breath that carried soft gasps of laughter. Due to this, naturally drying off took quite a bit longer than expected. It was worth Levi's every threat for such a valuable discovery, at least in Eren's eyes.

By the time the pair finally flopped into bed, idly drawing the covers, it was very late indeed. Levi didn't dare look at the clock, letting Eren's gentle nuzzling distract him from any negative thoughts.

“G'night, Levi.”

“Good morning, brat.” The raven grumbled, reaching up to tweak Eren's earlobe before scooting closer despite the action.

The brunette only smiled drowsily, letting out a long exhale.

“Close enough.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kittens, man. They are 90% of the reason why this chapter took so damned long to get done. But it's up now, thank God, and I'm working on the next chapter. It'll be from a new character's POV so that's exciting, and the plot returns! Huzzah! It sort of ran away for a sec there, didn't it?  
> If anyone has any questions or feels like they need to kick my butt into gear to get me writing, feel free to send me a message on tumblr or drop a comment here, I'll do my best to get back to you!  
> Thank you to everyone for being so patient, I am so SO sorry for taking so long.


	26. Betrothed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE IT IS! New character POV chapter! Okay, so you’ve already met this character, but she’s never had a chapter to herself before. So yay! And also, someone unpleasant comes to visit.  
> It’s a bit of a shorter chapter, but I still think it’s good. I hope you do as well!  
> Enjoy!

“Maybe you think that you can hide; I can smell your scent for miles.” – Maroon 5, Animals.

***

 

Time waits for no creature, not even the ones of Hell.

The sun was rising above the gnarled mountain border, casting a vicious red glow over the land as it climbed its way up into the sky. The charred earth belched forth fumes and spurted fire and molten stone. The display would have seemed spectacular to anyone not forced to dwell there day in and day out, a morbid yet spectacular display. Yet for the snarling inhabitants of the dying world, it was but another morning, another scorching dawn just like every other day.

In the northern most corner of Eren's territory, a new castle stood. Carved into part of the mountain border, the structure reached towards the burning skies. Volcanoes lit up the shadowy peaks behind the castle, spewing out glowing embers and magma to further twist the jagged mountain range. From a ridge above the tallest tower of the castle, a raven-haired woman kept watch.

Mikasa let a sigh rustle forth, running a hand idly through the red flames about her neck.

Another day, another bloodstained dawn. There was no rest for the wicked it seemed and even demonic creatures had chores to complete.

In Eren's absence, the castle was under the care of the creature taken in as his sister. Namely, that creature was Mikasa. He had saved her once from a terrible death and in doing so had cursed his own fate with the attention of a terrible being.

The same creature that had ruthlessly consumed Mikasa's parents, but not before crushing every bone in their bodies and gouging out their eyes.

For Eren's sacrifice, Mikasa remained with him as if in penance for a debt.

But now was not the time to dwell on such thoughts. Strategies still needed to be planned and fine-tuned and as always the squabbling creatures of the land needed to be wrangled into training. Left to their own devices, who knew what those horrid beasts would get up to.

The castle would be tended to, the defences improved, and more soldiers would be converted. For Eren, the raven-haired girl would do anything. Mikasa didn't ask questions most of the time; she was fiercely loyal, a ruthless enforcer when she had to be, and that was exactly what Eren wanted. Although after Eren's last stunt, even Mikasa was beginning to wonder.

The mysterious power that he had used to wreak havoc on Jean and his followers remained just that; a mystery.

Such strength was practically unheard of, even in the demon world, and the fact that Eren had found several others with similar power presented yet another concern.

Power like that hadn't existed for years...not since the reign of the titans.

Titans; ancient beings of immense power and insatiable hunger. Very few of the fiends remained, having raged war upon each other almost to the brink of their own extinction. Those that did remain were left to waste away in the marshlands, swallowed up by swamps and bogs in the wastelands, or had taken up positions of power.

One such titan had been tricked into guarding the gate between Hell and the living world. Known as Satan by mankind; he had once been a ferocious warrior. Now he paced back and forth, keeping watch on the mirrors, day and night.

Very few of the monstrous titans even posed much of a threat nowadays, but they maintained a solid rule over the dying world.

It was for that precise reason that Eren had launched his take-over plan in the first place. The brunette happened to be one of few demonic beings that had ever encountered without either being drafted into service or consumed. He was also one of a very few who could use the way through without having to talk his way around the gate guardian. Not many could convince Lucifer to let them pass, but Eren travelled without hindrance.

If she was honest with herself, Mikasa wanted to ask her brother why. Why was he able to be so calm and casual with creatures of such untellable strength?

But as always, she had to remind herself that it was not her place to ask questions. Especially not if it meant neglecting her duty.

She called in on Armin, checking over his plans that would be put in effect when Eren returned to conquer the next territory. Although that could be quite some time away...it had been over a month since the boy had returned home and Mikasa was beginning to grow concerned. Perhaps her brother had grown a little too distracted by that mortal he had been playing with?

“Mikasa?” Armin's voice broke through her reverie. “Are you not well?”

The blonde youth was looking up from his newest map, a slight frown worrying his brow as he regarded her with concerned blue eyes.

“Sorry, Armin.” The ravenette murmured in apology, bringing up a hand to rub at her temple. “I'm just a little distracted.”

The blonde boy sent her a look of understanding. “Worried about Eren?” Armin watched the raven-haired girl give a single, sharp nod, and he smiled gently. “I'm sure he's fine. Eren's never had a problem on the other side.”

“Except for that one time.”

“Well, yes.” The blonde agreed sheepishly, turning back to add in a new line to one of his maps. “But he learned a lot from nearly being exorcised. He's much more careful now.”

On that, Mikasa had to agree. Eren had been a creature driven solely by anger from the day of his birth. However, his time spent travelling between worlds had allowed her brother to learn the virtues of patience and planning. He knew to always be prepared now, after almost losing his life to a mere mortal.

“I guess you're right.” Mikasa nodded, trying to accept that thought. She managed a minuscule smile. “As always.”

Armin turned in his seat so that he could look at her properly, offering his friend an empathetic smile. “Don't worry too much about him.” The blonde encouraged, reaching out to touch Mikasa's arm. “Eren wouldn't want us to be fretting.”

He was right, of course. But who would worry over Eren if not her? The raven-haired girl sighed. She knew full well that no matter how long her thoughts dwelt on her brother, in the end only he could decide his actions. It was pointless to worry too much.

“Of course.” She murmured, placing a hand atop the boy’s head and smiling that are little smile. “I have to go light the fires; will you be okay to continue on your own?”

Armin smiled a little brighter then, as if he were surer of his answer this time around. “Sure, Marco is coming by later anyway. I'm sure he'll be able to help out if I need anything.”

“Very well.”

 

Lighting the fires was a task that Mikasa had to perform once each week. They would remain lit for seven days before finally dwindling, and the flames served to act as a defence for the castle. The ravenette was a master of wielding fire; if the walls of the fortress were breached for any reason, she would be able to defend it.

Scarlet fire glowed in a hearth within each room, flickering and for the most part well behaved.

Annie had the soldiers out on the training field and Bertholdt was supervising the elite troops who were facing off against Reiner. The terrible trio hard at work yet again. Sometimes Mikasa wondered where Eren had found them...all with the same strange ability that her brother possessed.

“Eren...just what secrets are you keeping?”

Dark, charcoal eyes snapped towards the window as the skies beyond flickering with white light. A lightning strike, yet no thunder followed. It was no coincidence either, as the same thing happened again...only closer this time.

Coal eyes widened at the sight, recognising the signs.

“Again?”

Mikasa straightened as the air began to grow cold. Very cold. The skies beyond the window darkened, losing the scarlet glow as furious clouds rolled in. With them came the thunder, at last, as well as a fierce and frosty gale force wind. The walls began to ice up, the silver frost crawling across the stone with a biting chill.

_He_ was back.

Mikasa knew very little of the terrible creature that had taken a liking to her brother. She didn’t even know his name. They had met before only once before the fiend had become infatuated with the boy, and many times since.

The raven-haired girl barely had time to snap her head up at the sound of rushing footsteps, feather light and lightning quick, before there was a loud crash. At the end of the great hall a door burst open, letting in a violent flurry of icy wind and snow. The bitter chill was enough to make even Mikasa shiver, although it was more out of dread than cold. The fires fizzled out, cold and dead in their hearths, and the room fell into a gloomy darkness. The girl could still make out the shapes of tables, chair and the floor to ceiling pillars, but the light was murky and dim.

A deep charcoal haze began to creep in through the doors, a strange mixture of shadow, fog and smoke that curled lazily about the shape of a person.

A man.

The ravenette's featured hardened and her coal eyes narrowed to slits.

“How many times do I have to tell you,” the raven-haired girl drawled, rolling her eyes, “the doors do open normally. You don't really need that stupid entrance every time, do you?”

A chuckle sounded from the darkness and the shadows drew nearer, curling in languid wisps. The smog tasted heavy and sweet, almost like that of stale candy. It made the task of breathing at all seem highly undesirable. The ravenette wrinkled her nose.

“Ah, Mikasa,” the demon’s voice sounded at last, somehow managing to sound deep and hushed at the same time, “…always the stoic faced fiend, aren't you?” The tone rolled playfully, a mildly amused lilt hitching here and there. In a sluggish crawl, the being took a few final steps before slipping into a casual lean against one of the enormous stone columns that held up the ceiling. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you why I’m here?”

Mikasa's eyes flickered in equal parts understanding and ire. “No…no you don’t.”

He was here for her brother...just like every other time this being had come.

A knowing chuckle echoed around the room as the slithering shadows darted about. The gloom made the ravenette's situation all the more disadvantageous should things turn sour. She could hear his tail slithering about, whispering against the stone floor along with the eerie scrape of sharp talons scratching over rock and the occasional flutter of leathery wings. But apart from sounds and the deep smoke that drifted about nothing could be seen past the small glow her scarf provided.

Not a single torch was left lit in the entire hall; after all, Eren's suitor loved his games. It simply wouldn't do to have others see what he looked like and Mikasa had only ever caught glimpses through the smoke.

The occasional flaring of glowing eyes, a cruel smile here and there or the flick of a wrist that escaped the lazy shroud of shadow. Nothing definitive enough to identify the being, but Mikasa didn't have to see the demon to know that she hated him.

Only Eren had ever seen the true appearance of this creature and to this day he hadn’t told a soul about him. The brunette did not fear many things...but he ran from this fiend. And so it was Mikasa's belief that Eren kept his silence for a good reason.

“He isn’t here.” She murmured.

“Well I’m hardly surprised.” The creature drawled, suddenly in front of her. He leaned back against one of the tables, clicking his tongue and giving a little flick of his wrist. Mikasa imagined that he was probably examining his nails. “His manners have grown appalling of late.”

“Says the guy who just crashed his way in uninvited.” The girl reminded him, not failing to notice the sharp glimmer that passed behind the being's shining eyes.

“I merely reciprocate the same offer that I have extended to your darling brother.” The man said, as if his words could somehow appease the girl. She could practically hear his shrug. “He is welcome to crash my party any time he wishes.”

Mikasa couldn’t stop herself from grimacing at the way the demon’s tone dropped purposefully lower on his last words, all too teasing for her liking. She didn’t have the time nor the patience for the man’s innuendos and she made that clear with her next words.

“I guess you’ll be waiting a long time then.”

The raven-haired girl regretted the words only seconds after they had left her sneering lips. Glowing eyes flashed, gleaming silver for a moment in their intensity, and for a long, tense moment Mikasa feared that she might have pushed a little too far.

“Well that is a shame.” The male sighed at last, pushing off from the table and stalking small, threatening circles around her.

Mikasa watched the ebony scales of his tale as they caught little glints of red in the light of her own fire. She didn’t dare to move, knowing full well that the man was only keeping such close proximity as a test. A warning.

_Do not cross me._

The thought was there, hanging in the heavy air. The girl was surprisingly not startled when the thickest part of the fog paused in front of her. If she looked hard enough, she could almost make out features. But the smoke shifted every time she thought she had something. He had to be teasing her. The most Mikasa determined was a pointed ear or an angular jawline. And, of course, a flash of grinning pointed teeth that were surprisingly white considering this creature’s appetite.

A low hum of amusement sounded from within the shroud and the demon turned on his heel to pace about the room. “I guess I'll just have to keep tormenting Eren’s followers until he comes to visit.”

The words were meant to both rile and threaten, and damn it if the tactic didn’t work like a charm. Mikasa held back a growl just barely, hackles raised to the challenge, but she forced herself to calm down. Any threats of her own could result in many deaths.

Choosing her words carefully, the raven-haired demon spoke at last. “It's not like my brother's absence is some planned scheme to test your patience.”

Another amused hum sounded, melting into a chuckle as the bright-eyed creature spun on his heel only to flop into a chair. “I thought I'd made it clear that I don't have any patience?”

Man, had he made it clear. So very _very_ clear. The fact that he was here at the castle yet again just went to prove that this beastly fiend had no patience.

Mikasa sighed through her nose. “Nevertheless, Eren can't very well adhere to your wishes if he isn't present-”

“I am getting very tired of this stupid game of cat and mouse.” The voice growled, eyes flaring dangerously from the darkness as he cut her off. It might have been quite the frightening display if not for the way the creature’s tone drew up into a higher sound that was almost a whine on his next words. “Why is he being so stubborn?”

At this, Mikasa couldn't resist a small smile. “That's just Eren. His key characteristic is stubborn.”

This was hardly the first time that her brother had utilised that stubbornness to his advantage, although this was the first time that he had been using it to keep someone away. Normally it was more of a persistent bugging that eventually convinced another being to serve him.

The demon huffed petulantly from within the shadowy shroud. “Can’t you put in a good word for me?”

Mikasa's smile evaporated. “You're asking me? Do you even remember what you tried to do to me?”

Normally such a reminder would have cause this being to laugh at what he deemed ‘fond memories’, however at that moment they were discussing something rather more pressing in his mind.

“It was a long time ago;” he tried to brush the incident aside, letting his head fall back until it thunked against the back of the chair, “surely you're not still angry?”

Mikasa stared at the smoky figure for a long moment, her silence screaming incredulity. “Sometimes I wonder if you hear the stupid words coming out of your mouth.”

Unperturbed by the comment, the creature’s head whipped back up with inhuman speed. “Look, I promise I’ll be gentle with him.” The fiend tried to bargain with her, but he couldn’t keep the excitable edge out of his own voice. “At least for a little while. Isn't that good enough for you?”

“No.” The raven-haired girl answered, her voice cold. “I think we’d all prefer it if you just disappeared. Last I checked, no one actually needed you.”

A noise somewhere between a scoff and a snort sounded in the darkness. “Ouch, my poor heart.”

“A creature like you couldn’t possibly have a heart.”

The shadow chuckled, low and breathy as those glowing eyes flicked up again. “And you wonder why you’re still single.”

The ravenette bristled at the comment. “It’s a personal choice.”

“Of course it is.” A low hum came from the flickering darkness, it was a mocking sound. “So where is my delectable betrothed? Don't give me any of your usual deflections; I'm quite tired of them.”

“I told you, he’s not here-”

“ _Do not lie to me._ ” The creature practically whispered the words and yet somehow that soft sound was more terrifying than a shout. The shadows flickered, darting out, spreading only to retreat back again. “Lies won't get you anywhere. I can _smell_ lies.” He growled out the last words, voice lowering into something unmistakably inhuman.

Mikasa stood her ground even as the low snarl caused the walls to tremble. She had a gut feeling that if she moved at all, if she so much as blinked, the creature might attack.

“You can ask all you want,” she murmured in a soft voice once the glowing eyes watching her began to lose their red sheen, “the answer hasn’t changed.”

The ravenette heard the sneer more than she saw it. It was clear that the creature before her was frustrated, angry to the point that it was considering bloody murder, but that wouldn’t get him answers. His ire was almost amusing.

“How long does that brat intend to keep me waiting?” The shadows hissed at her, the voice seeming to come from more than one direction as he darted about, unsettled. “He can’t _still_ be floundering in the wastelands, can he?”

“I wouldn’t know.” Mikasa opted for ignorance. It had been like a ‘get out of jail free card’ for her over these past months.

“Stop lying...” the voice growled by her ear suddenly, but Mikasa didn’t so much as flinch at the sound, “bad girl.”

“If you'd rather I not speak at all..?” She suggested, knowing that even playing to this man’s whims wouldn’t get them anywhere.

He was a fickle creature, if nothing else, and that made him infinitely more dangerous than any other being that Mikasa had faced.

At long last, the man hissed out a wearisome sigh. “If all you have to say about Eren are lies...then perhaps we should speak about something else.”

The voice shifted, circling again, although the threat level seemed less this time around. Mikasa detected more curiosity than anything else in that tone.

She frowned, watching the shadows pass in front of her. “What else would you be wanting to know?”

This being had never asked for word of anything but Eren since his very first visit. Why should that change now?

She didn’t have to wonder long, as the man spoke again.

“Perhaps...you could tell me how his army managed to overpower as skilled a warrior as Jean?”

The ravenette hesitated. She knew that she was hesitating and it didn’t look good. The girl could imagine the smile that was creeping across the face of the shrouded fiend before her.

She spoke before he could tease. “If you wanted to know that, then you should have come to see it for yourself.”

It was a good deflection and she thanked her lucky stars for throwing a sentence like that at her.

“Mm...” the hum came low and amused, but Mikasa thought that the demon sounded almost impressed with her answer, “I was detained at the time and word only reached me after Kirschtein's land had fallen.” He went on to explain, and she could hear the smirk in his words. “Strange, that it could have happened so quickly. Especially considering that Eren wasn't even confident with his own flames last I saw him.”

“It's been some time since then.” Mikasa defended, scowling over at the male. “He's learned a lot.”

“So I've heard.” The amused tone continued, seeming to affect the way the lazy shadows rolled about in the air. “But words aren't nearly as good as seeing first hand. Not for me.”

“You'll just have to wait...but I think you'll be surprised.”

The shadow snorted. “Oh I very much doubt that.”

“Why would I lie to you?” The raven-haired girl said in challenge.

She was shocked by the sudden flickering gaze that captured her attention. “You’ve been doing it this whole time.”

Mikasa stiffened, hearing a purr of laughter. The very air seemed to merge with the sound until it was all she could hear.

“It’s insulting,” the voice continued, a strange mix of amusement and menace, “the way you keep thinking that I won’t notice.”

It was stupid, trying to spin lies to a creature whose face she couldn’t even see. She couldn’t get a read on this being, hearing only the shifting tones in his voice. It was not enough to go on and Mikasa knew that someday she would have to pay the price for her dishonesty.

But he hadn’t killed her so far.

Latching onto that thought, Mikasa decided that she might as well voice it. “If that’s what you think…then why am I still alive?”

At this, the demon made a displeased noise. “If I kill you, it’ll only serve to make Eren angry.” He muttered, pacing again. “That would rather put a dampener on our next meeting, don’t you think? ‘Hey, baby, welcome home, oh and by the way I killed your sister and used her skin to make the carpet you’re standing on right now.’” The voice scoffed. “Yeah, thanks but no thanks.”

The way this man spoke, mixing equal amounts of lilting playfulness and snark, made swallowing his words more than a little difficult. Here he stood, claiming that he didn’t want to upset her brother, and yet his track record more than spoke against that.

“You can’t honestly be trying to say that you actually care about what Eren thinks of you?” Mikasa bit out the words, wishing that she didn’t sound quite so clipped. “Bullshit. I don’t buy that for a second.”

The demon didn’t seem at all offended, only vaguely amused. “Then you have a lot to learn.”

“If I let Eren near you, you’d eat him in a moment!” The ravenette hissed, the fire about her throat flickering dangerously.

If anything, it just amused the fiend further.

“But isn’t that what our kind does?” He teased. Mikasa went to take a step forward, but paused when the male raised a hand to wave off his own words. “I wouldn’t do that. Not right away.” The man tried to explain, but the cheeky tone was returning. “But you’re right…I’ve often been found guilty of consuming the things I hold dear.”

Mikasa could only shake her head and look at him. “Why?”

“To keep them closer to me.” He replied, not hesitating for a moment. “See? It’s almost romantic if you think about it.”

She could almost see him grinning. That complete and utter bastard.

The raven-haired girl could feel her face growing blank, her eyes felt cold even without the chill in the room. “You know…I’ve met a lot of our kind.” She murmured, voice gentle and inflectionless. “But you’re the one I think of when I hear the word _monster_. You’re the reason children don’t sleep at night.”

“Oh, stop it you.” The chuckle made the girl’s stomach turn and she could imagine the sort of ridiculous smile he would have plastered across his face. “Flatterer.”

“You’re disgusting.”

“You’d better believe it.”

Mikasa shot the being an incredulous look. It almost sounded like the bastard was flirting.

He sighed before she could comment on it. “I won’t kill you…for now at least.” The demon’s eyes appraised her. “You’re practically Jaeger’s right hand-” the voice paused at the sharp hiss Mikasa gave and the demon’s tone grew teasing, “oh…what’s that? You don’t like it when people say that name, do you?”

“What do you think?” She growled out the words, leaning forward a little in a threatening pose.

The longer this man stayed, the less Mikasa felt like she could resist the urge to pound his head into the floor until nothing but a black pool of blood remained to show that he had ever existed.

He didn’t seem to care. “I think that you should let go of whatever weird infatuation you have over the boy. He’s mine.”

“He has a right to choose, you know.”

“Actually he doesn’t.” The voice snapped, suddenly all humour gone from his tone. “His precious father won’t even bat an eyelash if the kid disappears, not unless Eren goes back to serve him. But something tells me that he wants out of the family business. Face it; you’re about all the protection he’s got.”

“Eren doesn't need protecting.” Mikasa defended, eyes narrowed. “He's strong. Far stronger than you think!”

“So everyone keeps telling me.” The demon muttered, moving so suddenly that the raven-haired girl had to step back to avoid being rammed into as the man darted over to grab her throat. “But how did he get so strong?”

The red flames didn’t even faze the man, hissing and burning at his skin. It was this way that Mikasa noticed that she could actually see her aggressor. Or at least a part of him.

For the first time since she’d seen this being, the smoke failed to hide all of him. A lean arm was exposed and she could feel the long fingers digging into her skin. His own flesh was pale, even paler than Mikasa, and dark black and grey scales patterned here and there.

“I-I don’t know.” The woman managed to force the words out of her mouth even with the grip he had.

“Hoh? Not such a trusting brother after all?” The voice teased as the death grip relaxed.

“Eren's not like the others.” The black-haired girl fought to sound sure of herself. “He doesn't crave war.”

The demon before her laughed, resuming his pacing as he headed back away from her. “Then why is he gathering armies? Hmm?”

This, Mikasa knew. She knew exactly why Eren needed an army…and a much larger one than the force he commanded now. But this creature before her, this fiendish nightmare, could not be trusted with that kind of secret.

“That,” she muttered, “I will not tell you.”

Two pinpricks of light pierced through the veil of shadows, the white-hot glow of eyes flaring.

“Shame.” Came the slightly bored response after a moment. “This conversation was just starting to look interesting. I should be off, but do remember to tell Eren that his time is up.”

“Up?”

“Yes. Up, as in over, kaput, no more.” The words were spoken in a tone that was for once completely serious, even if the choice of wording might not have seemed so. “I’ve gone about this in the proper way, indulged the brat’s game of playing coy for more than long enough. Tell him I’m tired of waiting. The next time I have to come asking after him, he’d better be here.”

The dark fog moved, crawling along the ground as the demon turned to leave.

“Or what?” Mikasa spoke up.

Footsteps halted and the silence that followed was terrifying.

“Are you seriously challenging me?” The voice came again, and somehow Mikasa knew that he hadn’t bothered turning around. “Could you have forgotten what I did to your own miserable parents?” This time he did turn, and glowing eyes flared up a deep and burning red. “ _Or should I demonstrate it again?_ ”

The ravenette grew silent at the inhuman echo of a voice, taking an involuntary step back. She could all but hear the sneer on her aggressor’s face.

“That’s what I thought.” The voice snarled and then the shadowy shroud shifted as the demon turned abruptly on his heel. “I'll give you one last chance. Eren has a month to get his sorry ass back here. If he isn't waiting for me by the time I next return...I will lay waste to this fortress and slaughter every damned creature within his territory. Even you.”

The smoky fog retreated, and with it went the heavy atmosphere of the room. Breathing came a little easier as the sinister presence finally left the land, taking his howling thunderstorms with him.

Mikasa allowed herself a moment to drop her façade of calm, collapsing back against the stone wall.

“Eren…don’t come back. Please.”

She could handle being killed, she could deal with enslavement or being forced to watch each of her comrades die. But Mikasa was certain of one thing; she could not live to see her brother handed over to that fiend.

“I'll die first.”

Raising a hand, the ravenette flung her arm and sent a round of fireballs off to re-light the fires. They would be fine for a week, more than enough time to warn Eren. Who knew if she would be able to convince Lucifer to let her pass again, but it was worth a try.

Mikasa paused only long enough to speak to Armin and Marco of her mission. With a determination fiercer than anything she had felt before in her existence, the raven-haired demon set off for the flight that would bring her to the way through.

“Be safe, Eren.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy dang, who could it possibly be? I have a feeling that some of you might know. If you have any questions, or if any of this didn’t make sense, feel free to comment or hit me up on tumblr (haberkonium.tumblr.com) and I’ll get back to you!  
> Thank you to everyone for being so patient with me, I'll try not to fall too far behind in writing.  
> Next chapter is back to Levi or Eren’s POV, some more domestic life and possibly an appearance from Mikasa.


	27. Here With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Domestic darlings. Smut. Smut bouncing off the walls. Surprise visits. Confessions.  
> “Whoops, honey, did I forget to mention that I’m kind of engaged?”

“It’s just for a little while, just for now…” – Imogen Heap, Just For Now.

***

 

“Oi, shitface.”

Perhaps not the most romantic of ways to greet one’s lover of a morning, but the words did serve to make Eren smirk.

“I can see you grinning down there.”

Damn it, now Levi knew he was awake.

“Get up, you overgrown lummox, or you'll be eating cold breakfast.”

Eren exhaled through his nose and stretched, peeking over the sheets towards the door.

His short-statured lover stood leaning against the door frame. The raven must have been up a little while at least, he was already dressed and Eren assumed that meant he had showered. A subtle scent of soap in the air confirmed that assumption.

The teal-eyed brunette sat up with a sleepy yawn, covering his mouth with the back of one hand.

“You made me breakfast?” The boy mumbled out behind his hand.

“I did.” Levi confirmed, giving a little one-shouldered shrug. “So get your lazy ass out here and eat it before I drag you out by your tail.”

The boy laughed, pushing back the covers, stretching out again and arching his back. Said tail flexed out straight for a moment before flopping back down to the mattress with a muted thud.

“Mmm,” Eren made a relaxed sound, settling on his elbows, “...that wouldn't be a very good idea.”

“Oh?” A thin brow rose in what could have been challenge, but Eren suspected it was more a query. “Why's that?”

The boy smiled, ever pleased by the raven's interest in his nature. As always, Eren was more than happy to supply the details.

“My kind are quite sensitive when it comes to their tails.”

It was a strange reply, Levi thought. Something one might expect a child to come up with. Damn, the thought was almost adorable and the raven-haired man had to cough to hide his smile.

“Right,” Levi managed, smirking behind a hand until he had better control over his facial expressions, “...and why is that?”

“It's sensitive.” Eren answered, still stretched out and curving his back. Levi suspected that the brat was only doing it to tease him. “Because they come out and away from our bodies, it makes the tail more vulnerable to attack.”

Well that made sense, more sense than Levi had thought it would. Finally something about Eren's demon traits made a little sense.

“I see.” The raven nodded, scratching at his chin as a little smirk curved his lips. “So if you're a little shit one day and I grab your tail, you'll shut up and pay attention?”

Eren visibly bristled at the thought, his tail curling around his body as the kid sat back, ears pressed against his head.

Levi chuckled. “Geez, have a little faith in me. If you tell me not to do something, I'll listen. You don't want me to touch your tail? Fine, done.”

“It's not that. I'd just prefer it if you weren't too rough with that particular appendage.”

At that, the raven laughed, pushing off from the door frame to move over to the bed. “Ah shit, your word choice is fucking priceless sometimes.”

The boy pouted up at Levi, but he leant into the hand that carded through his hair.

“Come on, stop making that face.” The raven coaxed, cupping the boy's face. “I'm being gentle, aren't I?”

And he was. Despite the notion of treating a demon with care seeming a ridiculous one, Levi decided that it wasn't any different than for him to expect Eren to be careful with him. Although it really didn't apply as severely to the raven, after all...he wasn't the one that could tear a person in half without breaking a sweat.

At last a smile lit the brunette's face. “Yes you are, which is more than I'm used to.”

“I can imagine,” the raven agreed with a chuckle, “with you living in Hell and all.”

“That's exactly why I'm being cautious.” The boy admitted, brushing his face against Levi's hands. “I'm not accustomed to any kind of contact that isn't meant to maim or kill. If I'm caught by surprise, even by you, I'm worried that I could lash out defensively.” The brunette explained, placing a gentle kiss to each of the raven's palms. “So please be careful before making that kind of decision.”

Levi nodded, a silent promise. “Thanks for the heads up.” He murmured, bending to press his lips to the boy's forehead. “Now come on. The food will taste like shit if it gets cold.”

 

Waffles had become something of a favourite for the bright-eyed brunette and Eren was delighted to find a plate full of them steaming on the table. The brunette’s babbling ‘thank yous’ were dismissed quickly.

“Thank me by eating the food.” Levi smirked, pushing the boy towards the table with guiding hands at the small of Eren's back.

Eren did just that, scarfing down the meal at an alarming rate and sitting back in his chair with a long and lazy sigh when he finished. Levi had barely taken three bites of his own food.

“Jesus Christ, kid.” The raven muttered, fork halfway to his mouth. “Where are you even putting all that?”

The boy sent the raven a content smile instead of replying and Levi rolled his eyes at the kid fondly, stretching in his seat and lifting his legs from the floor to prop his feet up in Eren’s lap.

“You look pretty content for someone who doesn't even need to eat.”

Eren just shrugged. “What can I say? I'm a sucker for sweets and your cooking rules.”

Levi raised his eyebrows at the boy, tapping a foot against the kid's stomach. “Well aren't you the flattering little twerp this morning.”

The brunette squirmed under the raven's foot as it prodded his stomach, coaxing soft giggles from the boy.

Levi smiled, a tiny curve of his lips as he took another bite of his food. “You wouldn't be trying to get into my good books, would you?”

Eren's smile said it all. “I have no idea what you're talking about.” The boy said anyway, his tone far too cheeky to be truthful.

“Cheeky shit.” The raven muttered, cutting off another piece of waffle. He stabbed the morsel with his fork and held it out for the brat. “You haven't broken something, have you?”

“No.” Eren replied, leaning forward eagerly to accept the food.

Levi cocked an eyebrow, withdrawing the now empty fork. “Then what?”

The brunette gave a little shrug, smiling. “I just like it when you dote on me.”

“I see.”

Eren shifted in his seat a little as the raven's feet slipped lower in the boy's lap, rubbing in a rather distracting fashion.

“Levi...” Eren squirmed, leaning back in his chair, “could you stop that? It's kind of...”

“Bad?” Levi suggested, judging by the boy's troubled expression.

“Arousing.” The brunette answered, flushing a little as the raven-haired man let out a huff of laughter.

“Then my work here is done.” Levi smirked, adjusting his feet in the boy's lap.

Eren panted a little, hips pushing up a little in search of friction again. “You got me hard on purpose just to tease me? That's cruel.”

“That is what we humans call ‘morning wood’.” The raven chuckled, rubbing a foot against the bulge that was Eren’s half-formed erection. “Well, close enough anyway.”

The brunette didn’t bother to sit up or swat the teasing feet away; if anything he relaxed further, shifting his hips into the friction. Levi felt along the hardened ridge of the brunette's clothed cock, rubbing just the pad of his foot against the boy's cockhead until Eren whined out a warning.

“C-Close.”

The teasing feet disappeared then and Eren sat up with a protesting whine.

Levi raised an eyebrow at the boy. “Go and brush your teeth.”

“Can’t I cum first?” The brunette pleaded.

“Nope.”

Eren knew he was pouting, but he couldn't help it. “What about after?” The boy asked, not bothering to mask the hope in his voice.

If the brunette was honest with himself, he wasn't sure if Levi had stopped just to tease him...or if it was something else. The pair hadn't really done anything physical since Eren had returned to his demonic form and, while he wanted to think better of Levi, the boy couldn't help but consider that his appearance was making Levi uncomfortable.

Levi just smirked across the table at him, standing and gathering up the plates. “We’ll see.”

At least the smaller man didn't seem to be too uneasy. Maybe it was all in Eren's head?

The raven-haired man gave the boy's shoulder an affectionate squeeze before heading around the counter and into the kitchen. Eren took that as his cue to leave, trudging towards the bedroom.

It was one of the fastest showers Levi had ever known a person to take; Eren was scrambling back out of the bedroom in record time. The boy had pulled on a pair of comfy grey sweatpants, not bothering with much else as he practically leapt at the smaller male, tanned arms looping about the raven's shoulders.

“Shit! Jesus, Eren, warn me!”

The raven staggered a little but caught the brat regardless, strong arms holding him up as legs hooked around the smaller man's waist.

“Are you right, up there?”

“Mmhm.” The boy beamed, nuzzling his face into the crook of Levi's neck.

Eren didn't really like clothes, especially pants because it meant that he had to wrap his tail about his leg or else pull it up out of the top of his waistband. That, however, wasn't so comfortable. Levi didn’t comment on the boy’s lack of a shirt, electing to focus his attention on the way the brunette’s chest moved as he breathed.

The dishes were safely packed into the dishwasher and so the pair went and sat out on the balcony, the one attached to Levi’s bedroom rather than the living room so that the pair could lounge in peace and Eren wouldn’t have to worry about being seen. This balcony was around another side of the building and shielded from view from the street by the corner of the structure. There was only a single row of balconies on each side of the complex, so unless anyone climbed down from above or up from below, the two males would be completely alone.

It wasn’t a particularly warm or cold day and a pleasant breeze ruffled through their hair. Eren managed to coax the raven out of his shirt, letting his hands roam over the pale skin.

Soft grey eyes held bright teal orbs as Eren stretched out atop the raven, stomach to the raven’s chest.

“Comfy there?” Levi drawled, tracing a finger under the brunette's chin.

Eren smiled, looking very much like a spoiled, lazy cat. The boy nuzzled his face against the raven's hand, ducking his head to press a kiss to the smaller male's collar bone. Levi watched the mop of brown hair move lower, lips trailing down his chest. A pink tongue snaked out, flicking at one of Levi’s nipples and all the while Eren held the man’s gaze.

“You know,” Levi murmured softly, his voice not carrying far past Eren’s ears, “you don't have to work so hard for my attention.”

Eren only hummed in response. The arms curled lazily about his lower back were just the right sort of heavy; a comforting weight that held the boy in place as his hips began to roll. A gentle motion at first, testing to see if the raven could be coaxed into a little bout of playing. Levi hadn’t pushed the boy away yet and, taking that as a positive sign, the brunette moved a little more purposefully.

A chuckle slipped past the raven’s lips. “Still horny, eh?”

“What do you think?”

Levi coaxed the boy up for a kiss and for the next few moments there were no more words, only kisses that turned into quick little nips, wandering hands and Eren's impatient scrambling to better situate himself in the raven's lap.

The boy's hips moved at an almost frantic rhythm that had both males panting raggedly in no time at all. It was a good feeling, the kind of raw drive for passion that Levi hadn't felt since his teen years, but he didn't really want this feeling to end with the pair of them ruining two perfectly fine sets of clothes.

“Come on, brat, ease up a little.” The raven-haired man groused, voice a little uneven.

“Why?” Eren looked up; face flushed a pretty shade of pink in his state of arousal. The boy's brows were drawn together and his mouth hung open slightly as he panted, hot breath falling against the raven's shoulder.

He looked gorgeous.

But that wasn't quite enough to distract the raven from his dilemma. “Because if you don't, I'm going to fucking cum.”

“Isn't that the point?” Eren managed to gasp out, the words more air than tone as the brunette ground down, throwing his head back with a throaty moan.

“Well yeah,” Levi found himself chuckling between breaths, “but I'd like to get my pants off first.”

A desperate sound choked its way out of the boy's throat as he rocked his hips, head still lolled back. “Just leave it?” The brunette suggested, sounding equal parts hopeful and uncertain.

“Eren, no.”

The boy's rhythm slowed just barely and he leaned forward, hanging his head. “You're sure the mess is your only reason?”

Levi picked up on the suggesting tone in a second, shooting the boy's a sharp look. “If you have something to say, Eren...”

The brunette looked up, catching the look in the raven's eyes. Levi knew what he was thinking. The smaller man's grip on Eren's hips tightened, as if daring the boy to doubt him.

The taller male let out a short huff, the sound almost a laugh. “I'm being stupid, aren't I?”

Somehow Levi managed to make his smirk look fond, reaching up to flick the kid gently. “Probably. Now could you slow down for just a second?”

“You'll kill the mood wasting time undressing.” Eren argued, moving with renewed vigour. “Please?”

“No, Eren, cut it out-shit...”

Levi hissed out a breath through clenched teeth. He really was close, getting to the point where he should probably stop _thinking_ about doing something and actually _do_ something.

“Come on, Levi, please?” The boy pleaded, clutching the raven close and mouthing at his neck, shoulder, any skin he could find. “Just let me know what it's like once?”

Only one time? He could do that, couldn't he? After all, it wasn't like he was in love with what he was wearing; the clothes currently adorning his body were purely for comfort and he didn't intend to ever wear them outside of the confines of his home. Surely he could survive slipping just once in his record of being the OCD clean freak...

He didn't really have much choice in the decision in the end, as Eren took the man's continued silence as a sign not to stop and before either of them were really ready for it-

“Oh _fuck_ -!”

Levi couldn't believe that he had come first. The coiling heat in his belly snapped suddenly, making the man yelp in surprise, and hot wet bloomed in the raven's underwear. It was exactly the same as Levi remembered this kind of sex to be; amazing for those first few hazy seconds...and then realisation sets in.

Gross

He must have uttered the thought aloud, hearing Eren's disbelieving laughter in his ear, warm and rich as oozing honey until the chuckling morphed into a long moan as the brunette found his own release.

Levi watched through lust clouded eyes as Eren came hard, gasping and rutting desperately until his orgasm subsided and the boy hung his head, relaxing with a thoroughly contented sigh.

The raven stretched, grimacing at the sticky wet sensation against his groin.

“Tch. Disgusting.” He shifted, wincing at the raw wet pull of damp material at still sensitive flesh. “You filthy brat.”

But Eren had already collapsed against the smaller male’s chest, boneless and sated. His eyes were closed and he had a little smile painted on his lips that made him look a lot younger. Eren's breathing was slowly returning to normal and Levi almost smiled when the kid tried to nestle closer, nuzzling his cheek against the raven's chest.

“Fuck, look at you...” Levi crooned gently, threading his fingers through the boy's hair, “you’re already spoiled.”

Eren's tiny smile twitched a little wider and he let out a pleased hum. “Mmm…”

The raven could feel the vibrations from the boy's throat in his chest. Eren felt so warm that Levi was almost tempted to just lay there and bask in the afterglow.

But damn it, he felt disgusting.

“No, don’t fall asleep.” The raven-haired man chided, voice gentle as he prodded the brunette's cheek. “We have to clean up and these damned clothes are going straight in the wash.”

Eren made a soft sound of complaint, his face twitching when Levi poked him again. “But I can’t move...”

“Yes you can, lazy shit.” Levi smiled slightly, shaking his head at the boy's antics. “You just don’t want to.”

“Mrph…”

 

Despite the boy's warning about adjusting to 'the gentle touch', Eren seemed to thrive on physical contact. When the boy finally peeled himself from the raven, he only moved away long enough for the smaller male to get up before lean arms were right back around ink-marked shoulders. The brat was practically dragged into the bathroom, reluctant as always, but he seemed happy enough once they stood together under the hot water of the shower.

“We need to do that more often.”

A breath. “What?”

“Sex.”

A dry chuckle. “Heh. No.”

“But-”

“No.” Levi chided over his shoulder, but his little half-smile took any bite out of the reprimand. “I'm not as fucking horny as you, so you can just suck it up, brat.”

Eren explained how he would gladly 'suck it up' in a not so delicate fashion and promptly found himself being kicked out of the shower.

The boy was still lying sprawled on the tiles when Levi finished up some minutes later.

“Quit moping. Get up of the floor.”

“I refuse.” Eren tipped his head from side to side in a sulking display. “My sex life is over; I will lie here until you change your mind.”

“Pfft.”

Apparently Eren wasn't kidding. Levi had towelled off, found new clothes and even made and eaten lunch, but the kid hadn't moved from the floor when the raven trudged back to check on him.

Levi couldn't help but grin at the sight. “For fuck's sake, at least put some clothes on.”

Eren made a soft sound of protest when a foot nudged his shoulder.

“Why?” The brunette moped, an arm flung dramatically over his face. “What's the point?”

The raven-haired man shook his head, crouching to prod at the kid's cheek. “How are you even keeping a straight face right now?”

Teal eyes peeped out for a moment. “I'm a great actor, shh!”

“Of course.” The smaller man chuckled, straightening. “Come on, brat, get up. We'll see about improving your sex life, hmm?”

Eren was off the floor in a second, chasing an escaping Levi to the living room. The pair tumbled over the back of the sofa, landing with an 'oof' and winded laughter.

“I didn't mean literally right now, you twerp.” Levi smirked up at the grinning boy.

Eren looked so happy, eyes bright with excitement from the chase and the faintest of pink flushes painted his cheeks. The boy's tail flicked and swished merrily behind him, catching Levi's attention every so often when it flicked past in his periphery.

But most of his attention was stolen by the enticing expanse of tanned skin hovering above him.

The raven-haired man cleared his throat, keeping his gaze locked on the boy's dazzling Caribbean eyes. “You really need to get dressed.”

“Why?” Confusion and a little reluctance coloured the brunette's tone as he tilted his head inquisitively, brows furrowing ever so slightly. “No one else is here.”

Levi tried not to let his eyes wander away from the boy's face, but he could feel the heat radiating from Eren's skin, so very invitingly close.

“That's not the problem.” The raven rasped, surprised by the almost husky quality to his voice.

Eren seemed to notice it too, his frown turning bemused. “Then what is?”

“Allow me to illustrate for you.” Levi muttered, grabbing hold of the brunette's hips and yanking them down.

It didn't take any more words to identify Levi's problem with a very naked Eren traipsing about the flat. And it was a rather pressing problem, literally pressing against the boy from between Levi's legs.

“Oh-hoh? Twice in one day?” Eren's face lit up in a grin. “Not bad for someone who’s not as horny as I am, wouldn't you say?”

Levi rolled his eyes at the brat. “So now we need to make a decision.”

“Oh? And what's that?”

The raven exhaled through his nose in amusement. “Well...either you put on clothes, or I take them off. I have a feeling that I know which option you'll choose-”

Eren was tugging at the raven's garments even before the man had finished speaking.

“How did I know?” Levi chuckled, sitting up to help the kid.

If Levi had been expecting another bout of rushed contact and frantic touches, he was severely mistaken. The boy seemed happy enough just to lie there with him, switching their positions so that the smaller male was laid stretched out with his back to Eren's chest.

The TV was on, creating a pleasantly dull murmur that became white noise in the background as Levi relaxed into the arms embracing him. He tipped his head back for a kiss and Eren rewarded him, dabbing their mouths together so delicately that the raven felt a small blush colour his cheeks. The boy smiled, a hand cupping Levi's face as Eren angled his head and kissed the raven-haired man again, deep and languid.

Levi jumped slightly as the brunette's free hand ghosted over his chest, down his stomach to his groin. The action was simple, lazy almost, in the way the boy's fingers slid over Levi's skin to curl around his semi-erect cock. There was something vulnerable in being bared before a lover, something that made Levi want to hide as though Eren would be able to see his every fault and flaw in the daylight. The boy didn’t seem to care about whatever those might be as he kissed the top of Levi's head, fingers massaging his scalp gently. The raven turned his head, hiding his face against Eren's shoulder as a low moan fell from his lips with a slow tug of his cock. He groaned as Eren pressed his thumb against the slit, smearing the precum beading there.

There was something uniquely amazing and addicting about the slow, lazy transition from snuggling with a lover, indulging in a kiss here and there, to languid sex. It was its own wondrous style, the kind of lovemaking that did not start with a sudden desire to claw clothing off, ignited by spark of lust, but rather a sluggish coaxing along. This was the kind of slow, hot sex that Levi rarely indulged in but, if he thought about it, it was probably his favourite. A wandering hand trailing across his chest, his stomach, toying idly with the faint trail of hair that led down, tracing the prominent V-shape of muscle to curl on a mildly limp dick and stroking the satiny skin of it. Skin akin to the velvety and petal-soft quality of an eyelid. Nipples hard, toes curling in silent pleasure, head tipping gently from one side to the other with a tiny rosary of sighs. A string of butterfly kisses trailed along his neck as Eren moved, lifting and depositing the raven at the far end of the couch as the boy moved to lay between Levi's legs. The brat smiled up at the smaller male adoringly, pressing feather-light kisses to the heated skin of Levi's inner thighs. The raven's chest rolled with deep breaths and pleasured gasps and he let his head loll back to rest against the arm of the sofa. Harder, getting harder, curving gently against the caress of a warm palm with the throb of blood. A gentle smile, Levi watched through the fingers covering his eyes before those grey pools closed again. Soft, pouty mouth, working up a little bit of spit to save the trip into the bedroom for lube.

When Eren's tongue hit the underside of Levi’s cock, he let out a low moan, his arm falling from his face and hanging limply from the couch. Eren felt the crunch of Levi's abs beneath his fingertips as the raven's hips thrust up, forcing his swollen cock further into the heat of the boy's mouth. Levi mumbled a breathy apology, thankful of Eren's lack of a gag reflex, the words cut off into a deep moan as the boy sucked, hollowing out his cheeks and running his tongue against the smaller male's shaft. Massage with fingers, tongue and a skillful avoidance of teeth, Levi had to wonder how the fuck Eren was so good at this.

The kid never came up for air, a fact that was both strange and strangely wonderful because it meant that the kid never lost rhythm. And shit Levi shouldn't feel so close to cumming already, but the burn in his gut was already building.

“Shit. Ah, where did you even learn how to use your tongue like that?”

“W-ll aybe seeb id-”

“Don't talk with your mouth full, brat.”

Eren chuckled and the vibrations of sound felt oddly amazing.

Generally, getting sucked off usually felt pretty darned amazing, but Levi had never felt like this. The raven wasn't sure why it felt so good but he had his bet placed on the fact that Eren didn't need to breathe.

And the kid made every use of that advantage.

Lips slid down the raven's cock, not pausing until they met the cool metal of the piercing just above Levi's balls. Eren stopped there, unmoving, and worked his throat around Levi's cockhead. It's hot, so much hotter than just the boy's mouth, and Levi can't stop the hiss of expletives that tumble from his lips.

And then Eren pulled back, slowly and with the patience of a damned saint, sucking in such a way that Levi's back arched off the sofa and he whined aloud.

A hand flew down to grasp at Eren's hair, tugging desperately as Levi let out a crisp gasp in a wordless message that he was close, so close now. Hips beginning to jerk, Levi risked a glance down at Eren working his magic and as their eyes met that was it. His hips gave a final jerk and a moan caught in his throat only to escape as a high pitching whine as the pleasure coiled in his belly snapped and sent the hot streams of his release cascading down his lover’s throat.

Eren didn't pull back until he had lapped up everything Levi had to give and by the time the raven opened his eyes again, the brunette was cooing and stroking his face.

“I thought you passed out for a minute there.” The boy smiled, resting their foreheads together. “So how was it?”

“I think I died and went to heaven for a second.”

The brunette gave a snort, shaking his head at the raven. “Unlikely.”

“We should...clean up...” The raven huffed between breaths, feeling thoroughly spent.

Eren made a face, but a curious look crossed the boy's features at Levi's suddenly thoughtful expression.

“What is it?” The brunette asked.

“How fast can you run?”

Eren had a feeling that he knew exactly where this was going. He leant his chin on a hand, propping up one elbow, and sighed.

“Pretty fast.”

Grey eyes narrowed in what looked suspiciously like victory and then Levi was speaking.

“Wipes. Bathroom, second drawer.” He stretched up to press an encouraging kiss to the corner of the Eren's mouth, whispering a cheeky 'go fetch' in the boy's ear.

The brunette grumbled but pushed up from the sofa, launching off into motion so fast that if Levi had blinked he would have missed the brat reappearing to flop back onto the couch. He held up the wipes in question, tossing the packet to Levi.

“Well hot damn.” The raven chuckled, eyebrows raised as he caught the offering. “I'm officially impressed.”

 

Most of the day was spent lounging about and idly watching the television. In all honesty, Levi couldn't remember which one of them had turned it on, but it was a welcome distraction whenever conversation trailed off into bouts of lazy kissing.

Levi almost didn't hear the sound of someone knocking at the door.

Eren didn't miss it.

The way the kid sat up instantly, eyes sharp and tail twitching, instantly had Levi feeling less than thrilled about whoever it was outside. Before the raven could even make a move to get up, Eren shot off the couch.

“I'll get it.” The boy announced, padding towards the door.

“You sure?” Levi called after him, raising a brow. “It's probably Hanji, knowing my luck. You're sure you want to deal with that?”

“It's not Hanji.” Eren muttered in a voice so low that the raven figured that the kid probably hadn’t meant for Levi to hear him.

But the smaller man did hear the quiet words. The raven was still for a moment, processing how certain the brunette had sounded.

“Oh?” He managed at last. “And you know that how?”

The boy paused, hesitating halfway between the door and Levi.

“Just,” Eren turned and the boy had never looked so pleading, “...stay here?”

The brunette took Levi's silence as confirmation and turned back towards the door with a sneer. Lips curled back over his teeth, the boy inhaled through his nose. The scent he was picking up made the hair stand up on the back of his neck.

Another demon.

Bracing himself for some kind of attack, Eren wrenched the door open with a snarl, his free hand raised to strike.

He halted in a second, all rage evaporating into pure shock.

“Mikasa?”

Sure enough, his sister stood on the opposite side of the door frame, only she looked...different.

Normal, at least by human standards. Her eyes never lost that dull coal quality but she was definitely getting better at falsifying a human appearance. Her scales were gone, along with the fire she usually kept about her neck. In their place, a red scarf was wrapped about her throat and she kept the fingers of one hand twined in the fabric.

The girl lacked a tail and even her ears looked normal now. Eren would have been impressed with her efforts had he not been so surprised at her sudden reappearance. Last he had known, she had been busy taking care of his lands.

“Eren.”

Well at least she didn't sound any different, if a little concerned. But the concern in that one uttered word was enough to make the brunette's skin tingle with unpleasant anticipation.

Eren could hear Levi getting up, the footsteps moving closer as the raven ignored the boy's plea for him to stay put.

“Who is it?” Levi called from somewhere near the kitchen.

Eren could practically feel anxiety pouring from the being in front of him. He felt an overwhelming urge to comfort the ravenette, calling over his shoulder. “Just...stay inside, okay Levi?”

A pause. “...what?”

“It's okay.” The brunette swallowed, trying not to worry the raven. “Stay back there. I'll handle this.”

Levi did not sound comforted. “Eren, who is it?”

“I said I'll handle it.”

Apparently the finality in Eren's tone was enough to clue Levi in on the fact that he really didn't have time to argue. The raven-haired man marched off again with a muttered 'tch' and Eren closed his eyes and sighed when he heard the bedroom door shut.

And the day had been going so well...

“What are you doing here again, Mikasa?” Eren sighed, sounding tired.

“I'm not going to hurt your pet, Eren.” The dark-haired girl murmured.

Eren hissed, gripping the door frame so hard that the wood creaked. “He isn't a pet.”

The ravenette made an apologetic sound. “Listen, I'm not here to ruin your little game of make believe.” She ducked her head with a defeated sounding sigh. “I'm here to tell you that you should stay.”

“What?”

Whatever Eren had been waiting for her to say, clearly he wasn't prepared for that.

“Did you hit your head or something?” The brunette stared owlishly at his adopted sibling. “Aren't you the one who's always dragging me _back_ to my responsibilities?”

Mikasa didn't look amused, even if Eren's words were true. In fact the boy hadn't seen her look so very serious about anything in a long time.

“Stay here, Eren.” She said, her voice firm just like it always sounded whenever she got protective. “This place is safer for you. Just...” she paused for a moment, the hardened look in her eyes softening and she sighed, “stay here, okay? Don't come back, stay here. Stay safe.”

“Safe? I don't understand.” Eren murmured, frowning at the raven-haired girl. “Mika...you're talking like I'm a child. I can handle myself.”

Apparently those were not the right words to say, not even remotely, as Mikasa's eyes flashed in anger.

“I don't care how strong you think you are!” She snapped, grabbing his arms and shaking the boy. “He's going to kill you one day!”

Eren tried to get free of her grip, settling for drawing the distressed demon into an awkward embrace. There were a number of people that Mikasa could be talking about, but Eren had a bad feeling that he knew the reason why she seemed so rattled.

“He? Who, Mikasa?” The brunette murmured in query, resting his cheek atop the girl's head. It was an uncomfortable angle, seeing as they were around the same height and Eren had to stretch up, but he couldn't just do nothing at all to comfort her. And he needed to be certain of what she meant. “Who's threatening you?”

“It _him_ , Eren.” The girl whispered, as though saying the words any louder might summon the terrible creature of which she spoke.

Eren stiffened as his suspicions were confirmed, his breath catching in his throat. It had been a while since the brunette had paused long enough to give his fiancée any serious thought. In hindsight, that was probably a mistake on his part.

Mikasa went on, stepping back and explaining all that had happened.

“He's tired of waiting, Eren. He says that next time he comes; if you're not there...he'll destroy us all. He gave you a month-”

“It's okay.” Eren said suddenly.

He knew that he had cut her off but he couldn't listen to another word. Too many thoughts were fighting each other in his head, too many memories long held back. He had put off thoughts of going back for as long as possible. Too long.

And now his procrastination was getting ready to come back and bite him. Wonderful.

Eren shivered, wrapping his arms about himself. He could remember the cold hands, the wicked teeth and claws set to mark him. The dark scales, so beautiful at night, just like their owner. He was a miracle after the burning sun went down.

But during the day he lashed out, he schemed and bit and chased, climbing the walls whenever he got bored. He had always said that Eren was the one toy he never grew tired of.

And then Eren had run. He had been scared...he still was. Scared...terrified of those sharp eyes. But what frightened him most were the moments when he wasn't afraid when he should have been.

“I'll come back,” Eren announced, the sound of his voice making Mikasa start slightly after the long silence, “I can...I can try to calm him down.”

The ravenette panicked, rushing forward and taking her brother's face in her hands.

“He'll kill you, Eren.”

She was sure of it. Unfortunately Eren wasn't so sure that she was wrong.

“Not for a while.” He said; it was the best that he could offer her. “He's spent too long chasing me to end the game so soon.”

Of this, Eren was absolutely sure. That fiend back in Hell was crazy about games; he loved them more than most other things. Except maybe feeding. But that mad bastard would never kill Eren until he stopped being entertaining. That was something that the kid could use to his advantage.

“How can you be so sure?” Mikasa whispered, her voice softly pushing through into the boy's thoughts.

A vague assembly of thoughts that felt like the beginnings of a plan. A plan he could use…a plan that might just save their hides for a while longer.

“I know what he's like.”

He did. Eren knew this creature...what he liked and what made him angry. He could play his own little game...and maybe that would help to save his skin should his betrothed find out that he was being played.

Mikasa didn't look convinced at all. “We all know what he's like, Eren.” She hissed, glaring at the floor so viciously that Eren waited to see if the ground would catch on fire from her stare alone. “That's why I'm telling you to stay away from him.”

Eren exhaled through his nose, offering his sister a smile that he hoped was comforting.

“It'll be alright.” He soothed, reaching out to squeeze the girl's arm. “I'll see what I can do to talk him round.” The brunette gave Mikasa’s shoulder a little playful shove. “Maybe I can even convince him to stop assaulting the castle?”

It had been a hopeful comment, almost a joke until he actually thought about it. That would be a much more desirable option in fact...and it would ensure a little more peace of mind to his own comrades. Except...

“But...wouldn't that mean you'd end up going to his castle instead?”

Trust his sister to voice his own thoughts.

Eren didn't like the idea any more than he liked the worried look in Mikasa's eyes. “...yeah.” He sighed, idly scratching at his neck. “I guess it can't be helped now.”

It took a lot of convincing, but after a solid hour's argument the brunette managed to persuade his sister that he would be okay if he returned to the dying world. She returned home reluctantly, disappearing down the stairs.

The brunette ducked outside to perform a thorough sweep of the area just in case Mikasa had been followed. It seemed safe enough and hers was the only other scent that he found out of place.

With a longwinded sigh, Eren returned to the apartment, shut the door and locked it, turning to see that at least the bedroom door wasn't shut any longer. Hopefully that meant that he wouldn't be evicted from the bedroom and sleeping on the sofa.

Levi was laying on the couch by the time Eren turned to look for him and the boy winced a little, feeling a little twinge of guilt that he had taken so long. He approached quietly, padding softly across the carpet.

“Who was at the door?”

The brunette froze, a sheepish smile creeping across his face as he leant against the back of the sofa.

“I thought you were asleep?” The boy murmured, reaching down to trace a gentle hand across the raven's arm.

“Your hands are cold.”

“I'm sorry.”

The look in those stormy eyes told Eren that the raven understood that the boy’s apology extended to much more than just the fact that his hands were chilly.

“So who was it?”

“My sister.”

“Oh?” Levi rolled over to look up at Eren. “Do I know her?”

The boy tilted his head a little, scrunching up his nose. “Yes and no. You've...sort of met. But she looked like me at the time.”

There was a long pause until at last a look of understanding took over Levi's face. And then he wrinkled his nose.

“Wait, you mean that copycat was your sister?” The raven threw his hands into the air incredulously. “What the fuck?”

“I know,” Eren laughed, grabbing at Levi's hands and holding them, “even _I_ was weirded out by that.”

Levi shuddered at the memory, entwining his fingers through the boy's. “So what did she want?”

The brunette glanced away reluctantly. “She was just bringing news.”

His voice sounded quiet, the kind of sound that children sometimes get when they're telling a version of the truth but leaving out some rather crucial details.

“You're leaving again, is that it?”

Eren closed his eyes slowly, looking almost pained and squeezing Levi's hands in his own before sighing in a rush. “I don't want to leave.” The boy whispered, his voice so soft that Levi almost missed the words entirely.

The boy released his grip, pushing back and away from the couch to pace.

“Mikasa doesn't want me to go back either. She came solely to tell me to remain here. Something must have happened to spook her...”

_He'll destroy us all..._

Levi sat up, looking at Eren over the back of the sofa. “What's happened that would make her change her tune like that?”

_You have a month._

_It's_ him _, Eren._

_Him._

Eren looked guilty. His tail flitted miserably behind his back and the boy was fidgeting, wringing his hands and looking absolutely anywhere except at Levi.

Naturally, the raven felt a little suspicious. “What is it?”

Eren opened his mouth for a moment, only to close it again with a shake of his head.

Grey eyes took in the nervous boy.

“Jesus, Eren,” the raven gave a snort, “you look like you're about to tell me that you're married with kids and I'm the affair.”

The brunette actually winced at the sound of Levi's voice, eyes flitting over for a second.

“Holy fuck. Don't you tell me that's it?” The raven's eyes narrowed down to slits and he wasn't sure what kind of face he was making but it was enough to make Eren take a step back.

“It's...it's not quite like that.” The brunette held his hands up defensively, glancing off to the side and screwing his eyes shut for a moment, dreading his next words. “He's...uh...he's my fiancée.”

“What?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raise your hand if you think this is going to end badly.


	28. The Other Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh this took waaaay longer to get posted than I'd thought.  
> But a lot of explanation occurs in this chapter so I hope that it can make up for the wait. Some hearts may be a little sad during this chapter.  
> This is un-beta’d. I’ll try to go through and fix any mistakes later but if you see one, feel free to point it out :)  
> Enjoy!

“I’ll be waiting on the other side. All you’ve got to do is cross the line. I can wait a whole long time but you’ve just got to decide.” – Bruno Mars feat. B.o.B, The Other Side.

***

 

It seemed surreal...how one of the best days could turn so swiftly into one of the worst.

Levi had taken longer than usual to process the words that had tumbled out of Eren's mouth, but his eyes slowly narrowed into cold slits. If Levi Ackerman had ever looked like a vicious alley cat, that time was now.

“You're engaged?”

There it was; the dreaded curl of anger in a familiar voice, soon to turn to blame. Eren had feared it from the start, but never expected that he would ever need to tell Levi about his other-worldly rival. The distance between them now just served to prove that mentioning it probably wasn’t the best of ideas. Maybe it would have been okay if he hadn’t been caught off guard, if Eren had had the time to think about the best way to approach such a delicate issue.

Eren winced at the sharp tone, wringing his hands. “...not in the traditional sense...but...kind of.”

“Kind of?” Levi practically hissed, getting to his feet. “There's no such thing as 'kind of' engaged. That's like saying you're 'kind of' a demon. Or you 'kind of' eat people.” The raven snapped, eyes narrowing, hands clenched by his sides and Eren could already see the blame forming in those stormy orbs.

“Okay…so I _am_ engaged.” Eren said instead because, as much as he didn’t want to say the words, it was obviously what Levi was waiting for him to admit.

“You're engaged and you didn't think that maybe that might be something that I would like to know?” The raven-haired man pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling his frustration through parted lips. “Hell, why would you even come after me if you're already committed?” Levi shook his head, his tone taking on an incredulous note. “You really must have been dropped on your head a few times.”

Eren didn’t care much for the insults, but he refrained from retorting in favour of keeping his own voice calm. As imminent as an argument seemed to be, nothing good could come of a fight.

The brunette breathed in slowly, taking care to choose his words with care. “I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid that...you'd be...”

“Pissed? Damn right I am.” The raven cut off Eren’s words with his own. “I trusted you. Even after you saw everything that happened, even after I _let_ you see that!” Levi turned his head away rapidly with a frustrated hiss, running a hand through his hair and tugging at the strands. His next words came a little gentler. “I could've understood if you'd said something then. But you kept quiet even though you knew? Give me one reason why I shouldn't be trying to strangle you right now?”

“...um...because you can't physically do that?” Eren offered, somewhat foolishly.

The boy cringed at his own words, knowing that trying to deflect answering with humour was a stupid idea the moment the words had left his mouth.

Levi scoffed in disbelief, staring dubiously at the boy. “Another cheater, huh?” The raven's voice sounded odd, cold but strained...as if it was difficult for him to maintain the detached tone.

Eren winced, opening his mouth to speak but Levi spoke before he could get a word out.

“At least I'm not the poor bastard you're being unfaithful to. Now that would a damned familiar turn. Shit.” The raven-haired man cursed, running a hand over his face and back through his hair roughly. “Now I know what it feels like to be on both sides. All that's left is for me to be the unfaithful one.”

“Don't.”

The boy’s voice was low, unwavering on that one word.

Eren had had enough. He couldn’t help but give in to his anger as Levi accused him. Without knowing all of the facts, the raven could not possibly hope to understand…and Eren knew that, he did.

But he would not be called a cheat and a trickster when the titles were not due.

“Don't start with the cheating bullshit!” Eren hissed. “You don't know what you're talking about.”

Levi sat back, eyebrows raised at the outburst. Eren’s voice was rising slowly and the raven noticed tiny flickers of blue fire beginning to light in the boy’s hair.

“You don't know _him_...what he's like.” The brunette’s voice seemed to soften for a moment, but more in desperation than any sort of gentle tone before his voice rose again. “You have no idea how my world works!” The boy snapped, feet planted, fists clenched. Everything about his posture was defensive. “Hell isn’t like your perfect morally corrupt existence. It's violent, it's brutal. You take or you get taken from. Don't talk to me about faith; you know perfectly well that I don't care for it. Let's not pretend for a _second_ that you understand what this is. You think you're some cheap toy? Some poor used plaything? Wrong! Don't make me sick. I would never do that. Never!” Eren cried in equal parts anger and promise. “Never...”

The boy sobbed suddenly and the flames that had been steadily increasing about his form died out. Levi wasn’t sure what to think. His initial anger was still there, bubbling away in his chest, but there was an ache there too that had less to do with Levi’s dug up past than it had to do with the crying creature before him.

The boy’s soft sobs and miserable little gasping breaths filled the otherwise silent apartment.

“You were my sanctuary, Levi.” Eren sniffed, covering his eyes with his hands in an effort to stop the tears. “You were my safe place. My escape.” A pained sound ripped its way out of the boy’s throat. “Why are you spoiling everything? I thought you trusted me?”

Trust? Well of course, he had trusted the boy enough to let him into his home, to share every last detail of his life and even go so far as to fall for the brat. But trust is a thing that is easily broken…and Eren had just blundered across the one line that Levi had. Such a thing was, in his mind, unforgivable.

“This is just like Erwin all over again.”

Levi hadn’t really thought that he had said the words aloud until he saw the pained expression flit across Eren’s face.

“No, no it’s not.” The boy defended, his own voice a little shaky. “Just listen, I can explain why-”

“You're a fucking demon, Eren.” The raven muttered. “How do I know that anything you say is true?”

It had been a petty thing to say; in fact all Levi wanted was to see the brat’s composure slip a bit in penance for the agony he was stirring inside of him. But the words had a profound reaction on the brunette.

White hot rage licked its way up Eren’s spine and for a split second clouds passed over the sun, casting shadows over the apartment. Eren’s eyes burned like blue-green beacons and Levi felt dread creep its way into his heart for a moment as the silence almost seemed to speak.

The entire atmosphere of the room seemed heavy, stifling, and the temperature seemed to be dropping too. Everything seemed to be passing slower than usual; the way Eren closed his eyes, hands curled into white-knuckled fists and…was that blood dripping off his hands?

It was. The droplets were such a deep red that they appeared to be black, only the faded trails they left behind giving away the scarlet substance as blood. Only a few drops escaped, hissing and steaming away once they hit the carpet, and Levi realised that the brunette’s grip must have dug his nails into his palms.

“See?” Eren muttered, almost to himself for a moment before the clouds passed, the sunlight returned and suddenly the boy’s eyes were open again. Time returned to normal. “See how easily you label me and shove me onto your list of people you don't trust?” Eren spat the words out, turning on his heel with a sneer, as if to walk right out of the apartment, only to growl under his breath and face Levi once more. “Because what? I'm different? You humans and your fucking fear of the unknown.” The boy hissed, scowling at the ground and shaking his head. “No wonder my kind doesn't bother with much more than eating you. Predators, that’s all we are. It’s all I should have ever tried to be, but I just had to go and fuck it all up. I just _had_ to get attached to my prey. How could I have been so _stupid?!”_

In a moment of anger, the brunette lashed out, slamming one furled fist against the wall. Cracks appeared, snaking up the wall with a dry crunch, and the vibrations made the kitchen cupboards rattle, crockery clinking together. Levi was certain that he felt the entire building shake under his feet.

The brunette was breathing hard, his eyes staring at the wall unseeing.

“Eren-” The raven started, intending to remind Eren that he had to be careful, but the boy cut him off.

“No!” Eren exclaimed, turning a fierce glare on the smaller male before screwing his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose and inhaling in an attempt to calm himself. “No, Levi, you really don’t want to do that.” The boy’s voice was at least a little quieter now, more annoyed than furious. “I’m not in any mood to be talked down, so why don’t you just use your judgemental brain for a second and consider that if I am different from you... _just maybe_ my culture differs too! Maybe engagement isn't the same damned thing here as it is there!”

A moment of vaguely confused silence passed between the two as Levi thought on Eren’s words.

“Is it?” He asked at last.

Eren threw his hands in the air like he was arguing a moot point. “No!” The boy exclaimed in annoyance. “You think demons go around professing their love and fucking _proposing_ to each other with diamond rings? Are you nuts?” Eren tossed his head with a bitter laugh, scoffing at the thought. “We hunt, we eat, and we kill. Rinse, lather, repeat. What have I always said about my world? Kill or be killed. Take or be taken from. Well this is the most literal case. He took. I was taken. And all because I saved one life? This is what I get for being a do-gooder just _one day_ _of_ _my life_.”

The brunette hissed and lapsed into an irked silence, pacing erratically back and forth. Levi had never felt so conflicted, filled with clashing emotions. Pain from having his trust broken, anger as well, confusion at the surge of information without context, irritation at the boy’s unwillingness to fill him in…and a strong urge to stop this fighting, cross the room and pull the kid into a hug.

He settled for sitting back down on the sofa, hands clasped together atop his knees.

“Eren, would you please just...explain this to me?” The raven murmured at last, his voice quiet and pleading. “I don't want to fight. I don't want to feel any distrust for you. But you can't just fucking tell me something like this and expect me not to misunderstand if you don't provide the details.”

Eren's glowering eyes turned in Levi's direction and they did not soften upon meeting the raven's gaze. The smaller man had never seen the boy in such a foul mood. It really was quite alarming. But Levi knew that if they didn’t talk this over now…they probably never would.

“Talk to me, Eren. I’ve been through this, and I wish I could have spoken to Erwin then. Let’s not make the same mistakes now, okay?”

The mere mention of Erwin made the kid sneer, but Levi’s words seemed to strike sense within the boy. His eyes slowly lost their eerie glow and the harsh sounds of his breathing began to ease. After a moment the brunette closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose in an effort to calm himself.

“How much do you want to know?” The boy’s voice held a remarkable lack of tone, inflectionless as Levi had never heard the kid sound before.

Everything. Levi wanted to know everything that had led the two of them to where they stood now. If he could understand Eren’s actions, then he could forgive the boy.

“As much as you can tell me.” The raven answered, leaving the details and delivery up to Eren.

The kid gave a restless sigh, taking a few absentminded steps about the room as he pondered over where exactly to begin. There was a lot to tell if Levi really did want all of the details. He came to stand by the balcony doors, glancing out into the street and over the roofs of houses.

“It was a long time ago when I first...encountered him.” Eren began, choosing his words with purpose.

He didn’t say ‘met’, for that would imply that they had exchanged names or greetings upon seeing one another for the first time. This, however, was not the case.

“It was the same day that Mikasa joined my family. Well...family of two,” the boy corrected, wanting to ensure that his choice of terminology would not further confuse Levi, “until Armin came along. He's practically family at any rate.”

Eren smiled as he thought of his petite blonde-haired friend, his sister and all they had achieved together. None of his plans would have taken off without their help, but the boy’s features shifted back into a darker expression as he went on.

“Anyway... _he_ was in the middle of slaughtering Mikasa's parents. They weren't the nicest of folks either I guess, coming from the catacombs, but this guy...he's the kind of monster you'd expect to haunt nightmares.” A haunted expression dominated Eren’s features and the look did not go unnoticed by the raven seated on the couch. “He loves the thrill of the hunt...but torture has always been his forte. When I found them...he'd been busy breaking as many bones in their writhing bodies as he could. It’s amazing how much damage he can actually do to a creature without them dying…”

Levi was absolutely certain that Eren could remember the scenes he was describing with perfect clarity and his own stomach twisted a little at the thought.

Eren swallowed. “I managed to get Mikasa away, but not without catching his attention. I was caught that first time…but he let me go.”

“Why?” Levi interjected, speaking up for the first time since Eren’s tale had begun.

The brunette’s attention snapped over to him, as if the boy had almost forgotten that there was anybody in the room with him at all.

Eren released a breath that he hadn’t realised had been trying to escape his lungs and offered the raven a tiny, sad smile. “He said I had a pretty voice.” The boy murmured in response. “Of course, he meant my screams.”

The raven’s gut felt as if it were slowly being tied in knots as a steadily growing feeling of unease built in him.

“What did he..?” Levi began but trailed off, deciding that he might not want to know.

But Eren told him anyway. “Oh, only bit off my hands and set my tail on fire.” The brunette announced with an almost casual air, obviously trying to brush the matter off as nothing. “Apparently he had such a good time that he couldn't bear to end the game so soon. He let me leave and I took Mikasa to my home.” Once again a dark and determined look took over Eren’s face and he clenched his hands into fists. “I knew then that I had to become stronger, gain more power so that I would never be in that situation again. For years I didn't see or hear anything of him. Not until I returned home from my first trip to your world. It was a rather...enlightening experience.”

Here Eren smirked a tiny bit, and Levi suspected an inside joke.

The raven raised an eyebrow. “Do I want to know?”

For the first time since the story started, Eren seemed more amused than disturbed by his own past.

“You said you wanted to know everything.” The boy said with a sound that was almost a laugh and he shrugged. “I guess I'll tell you. The first time I came here, it was solely to devour as many people as I could. I was power hungry, there's no point denying that. But in my hunger, I was blind. I drew too much attention, I didn't bother trying to hide or clean up my mess and in my carelessness my presence was discovered by an organisation of priests.” Eren shook his head a little, as if disapproving of his own methods before he gave a soft snort and moved on. “Long story short, they tried to exorcise me. Most of it was complete twaddle, but the being set on fire part had me worried for a minute or two.”

Ah, so that was why he'd smirked on the word 'enlightening'.

At the raven’s confused expression, the brunette went on to explain.

“Fire is a particular weakness for my kind.” The boy’s voice caught Levi’s attention again and the raven’s brow arched up. Eren exhaled in amusement. “I know, it seems silly really; I mean...we live in the fucking realm of eternal fire for fuck's sake and some of us can even _control_ fire, as you’ve seen,” the brunette offered a small smile, looking in Levi’s direction without ever quite meeting his eyes, “but none of us are immune.” He shrugged, as if even he was a little bewildered by the words. “We’re all able to withstand and control our own flames, of course. Fire is the only thing more eager to consume than us and therefore we are vulnerable to flames.”

Despite all the times that Levi had spent questioning Eren, the raven felt as if he had learned more in this one conversation than all of the other moments combined. The boy had faded off, distracted by a blaring car horn outside, and the raven prompted him.

“So...how did you survive?” Levi asked, encouraging the kid to keep talking.

The story was far from over and they both knew it.

Eren looked back towards the raven and shrugged again. “They failed to keep me contained and I managed to put the fire out. You remember how my full demonic form brings rain?”

Levi nodded, understanding dawning on him. “Well that's handy.”

“Indeed it is.” Eren exhaled through his nose, an amused sound. “Anyway, obviously I panicked and returned home straight away with my tail quite literally between my legs...only to run straight into a very amused and very familiar face.”

“Your fiancée again?”

The brunette gave a single nod in response. “He thought it was adorable how I had thought that I could handle myself so easily, particularly when I came back covered in soot and missing half a leg. Fire is a bitch.”

“Did he hurt you again? Or take advantage of your injured state?”

“No…not in the manner that I believe you are implying. While violent, he’s never really come onto me in any way other than overly excessive flirting.”

“Kind of like when we first met?”

“Har har.” The boy drawled sarcastically, poking his tongue out at Levi. “He’s worse. Ten times more forward.”

Eren had the nerve to look mischievous; the brat looked almost pleased with the jealous glint that flickered within grey orbs. The boy started speaking again before the raven could form a retort.

“He took me back to his castle and I was in no shape to struggle. I remained his prisoner and entertainment until I had healed.” Here Eren paused; looking conflicted as he glanced off to one side. “It was...really weird.”

A hint of confusion coloured Eren’s tone and Levi picked up on it in a second. The boy’s voice was softer now and he had this strange little frown on his face.

“He was completely different the second time around.” The brunette went on to explain, rubbing at his arm idly. Levi hated to admit it, but the action made him look homesick. “There was no torture, no unearned punishments or ruthless beatings like I had expected. He only came after dark and let me tell you, it's a total transformation. He hates sunlight, in your world as well, but in Hell it's far worse. He hasn't been here for many years, though, no need to worry. He's too strong for the travel now. But...after the sun sets, he's so different. Possessive, yes, but it’s almost adoring.”

Teal eyes shone with memory, a whole new kind of pain filtering through the soft pools.

Eren shook his head and the spell was broken, the brunette hurried to get back to his tale. “He let me go once I'd recovered and I started planning my schemes more carefully. His visits started to come more often until finally I...I just ran.”

The brunette let out a huff of a breath, leaning back against the wall like for once he actually needed the support.

Grey eyes regarded the boy carefully, fitting the pieces of Eren’s story together. He was beginning to see the picture, like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, but the image wasn’t quite finished yet.

“Why?” Levi asked, somehow sensing that the answer to this question would be important.

Even if it wasn’t what he wanted to hear…he needed to know.

“I ran because...” Eren paused, features twisting in uncertainty as he let out a rushed breath, “I'd almost stopped being afraid of him.”

Levi watched Eren’s features relax into an almost shocked expression. The words seemed to have made the boy realise that truth, a thought that had been plaguing his mind but he had always shoved it to the back of his mind for a fear of what the answer might be. And there it was…he wasn’t just scared of this creature waiting for him in Hell. There were other emotions and feelings tied to the demon as well, feelings not so easily dismissed.

However, the brunette wasn’t finished talking. “But I know that's a mistake! It's like turning your back on a snake just when you think it won't bite you.”

At last Levi had some sense, some clarity in this mad whirlwind of information.

Eren was scared of this guy, no, more than just scared, he was terrified. The only problem was that hate and fear weren’t the only emotions that Eren felt towards this…this creature. There were elements of the fiend’s nature that the boy felt almost drawn to, and now it spelt conflict for them both.

The picture was growing clearer, and yet there remained a few questions buzzing about in the raven’s skull like angry wasps trying to escape.

“If you’re so worried about this motherfucker then what the hell are you doing letting him push you around?” The smaller male asked, raising an eyebrow. “You’re a demon from Hell, for fuck’s sake!”

Eren scoffed. “It’s not that simple.” The boy shot back, rolling his eyes. “I have plans, I have to bide my time. Even if I could defeat him, it would blow my cover and all those years of planning would be a complete waste.” The very thought of this caused Eren’s expression to darken. “No…I can’t fight back just yet.”

Considering the brat’s stubborn nature, or at least that which the raven had experienced personally, that answer came as no surprise. But surely that stubbornness would compel the boy to fight back against this oppression? It just didn’t make sense.

Levi stared at the kid in disbelief. “So you’re just going to take it lying down? Is that it?”

At this, Eren looked physically pained. Another nerve struck, direct hit if the look on the boy’s face was any clue. He wanted to fight back…more than anything. But, like many things in life, it was never that simple.

“He's decided that he wants to...keep me.” Eren murmured in a gentle voice after a moment of silence. The boy sighed heavily. “And there's no one capable of really stopping him from getting what he wants...so that's that. He'll keep chasing me down until I stop running...and one day he'll kill me and I'll become just another creature that he's used and eaten.”

It was a morbid future indeed that Eren’s words painted; a canvas covered in blood and reeking of death and disappointment.

Levi swallowed, wincing at the sudden moisture in his dry throat. “So you've just accepted that?”

Another sigh whispered past the boy’s lips and his head hung a little. “I’ve accepted the possibility and the likelihood.” The brunette admitted, sounding thoroughly miserable. “So I fled and he thinks I'm lost wandering in the wastelands and marshes. If he knew I was here...and with a human,” Eren gave a scathing chuckle, “I can just picture the look in his eyes...although...I think if he saw you, he'd be thoroughly amused.”

Another amused sound came from Eren and Levi was starting to feel uneasy again.

“Amused?” He echoed the brunette’s last adjective, arching an eyebrow. “Why? What about my appearance is funny?”

“Trust me, you don't want to know.” Eren said with a bitter chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck with a tired sigh. “But he'd probably love it. No, I'm sure he would. I'd never hear the end of it.”

“Who is this guy?” Levi queried, brow creasing in thought. “Why is he such a threat?”

The brunette frowned as well, but more because he was attempting to answer Levi’s question accurately.

“He's...kind of...employed, I guess?” Eren’s words came slowly at first, but the more he spoke the more confident he sounded. “Kind of like an assassin? I think that's the closest word you have for what he does. He kills people in service of the higher powers in charge of my world. He's been alive for a long time. Thousands of years. That’s easily long enough to make his sanity questionable. I couldn't count the number of souls he's consumed...and that's a hell of a lot of power built up. But he doesn't just mess around with this stuff; he's been working on his magic for centuries. Still...I reckon I've got a trick or two that might surprise him. Sad things is...he'd probably just be excited. It'd be another challenge, something new and unknown after so many years without distraction. I almost feel bad for him.”

The silence that followed seemed to seep its way into Levi’s skin, preventing him from saying a word as Eren glanced at the floor. The kid looked upset, but he managed to wipe most of the feeling from his features before looking back up.

“That’s about everything, excluding excruciating detail.” Teal eyes met Levi’s gaze at last, holding a mix of sadness and exasperation. “Are you satisfied now? Still want to shout at me? Go on, I can take it. I’ve suffered far worse than any words you can say. Or would you rather have a go with your precious kitchen knives? A little practice would do you good. I can take that too, believe me.”

“I…” Levi hesitated, for once at a complete loss of what he could say.

The raven felt like he had slapped the kid across the face with the way he had instantly accused him, not asking or waiting for facts and explanations. It still hurt him inside to know that somewhere there was another creature that had a claim to Eren, _his_ Eren.

Clarification came with a price, as always, and Levi realised too late that ignorance truly was the equivalent of bliss.

Too little too late as was always the way. All either of them could do was accept this new change and move on.

 

The sky outside was slowly losing its light, fading from blue into the purple hues of twilight. Inside, the apartment had never seemed so quiet.

Eren sat sulking out on the main balcony while Levi stood in the kitchen, leaning over the counter. He had planned to get some cleaning done, something, anything at all to ease his mind, but nothing proved a solid enough distraction to keep Eren’s voice out of his head.

He felt worse than the dirt he despised so much, guilty and wronged at the same time.

“Eren?”

“What?”

“I’m…”

The words caught in his throat, like several attempts beforehand. In his corner, the brunette seemed to understand what Levi wanted to say, what he was trying to force out of his constricted throat, and he would give a soft hum.

In those moments, Levi felt an inexplicable sense of relief. The feeling would wash over him, soothing, and for a while he could stand without hunching against the benchtop.

Until the guilt returned.

“Levi?”

“Hn?”

“It’s okay that you got mad.”

A beat of silence.

“…it is?”

“I expected no less.”

Bam, right in the soft spot. Eren’s aim never failed, not even with words, it seemed.

“Right.”

Two hours passed this way, with long stretches of quiet only filled for a few brief moments of tense conversation before the silence oozed back in.

And then, as twilight morphed into the black shroud of night, Eren poked his head back through the glass doors.

“I’m going up to the roof to look at the stars.” The boy informed Levi suddenly. “Don’t wait up.”

The raven blinked at Eren, once, twice, thrice, and when nothing better came to mind, he said the only thing he could think of in that moment. “Do you want me to leave the door unlocked?”

The boy shook his head. “No. I can always climb back down.”

Eren turned on his heel, pacing towards the railing, and Levi felt a sudden surge of panic that he could not explain.

“Eren?” The raven called out, worried that the brunette would disappear before his words could reach him.

Mercifully, the boy stopped, glancing over his shoulder.

Levi swallowed, lips parting to speak. “Can I make this up to you?”

It was a strangely desperate question coming from the raven, but Eren didn’t seem all that surprised.

“I don’t know.” The boy answered, his old honesty like a slap in the face to the smaller man. “But…I’ll let you try.”

No words presented themselves, so Levi just nodded and watched the brunette swing himself over the railing of the balcony and disappear into the darkness beyond.

 

An hour passed. Dinner was made and eaten and the dishes were cleaned and stacked away.

No sign of Eren was seen or heard. Somehow Levi couldn’t find it in himself to be surprised. He sighed, heading towards the living room to stare hopelessly at the TV for a while.

Many sighs later the raven-haired man had showered and scoured his room for a new pair of pyjamas, climbing into bed at the seasoned hour of 10:41PM. All of the lights in the apartment had been turned out, but the raven left the doors to the balconies open, just in case Eren decided to return.

Grey eyes blinked at the ceiling for a long while as time dragged by at what felt like a sluggish pace, however when the raven glanced at the clock, the blue block numbers informed him that over half an hour had passed.

11:29PM.

Ten minutes later, grey eyes drifted shut.

 

Levi blinked awake. It was cold and there was no familiar warmth to be found when the raven reached out with a searching arm. Thin brows furrowed in confusion as for a blissful moment all memory of the afternoon’s argument evaded the raven. But it did not last very long. Soon enough the hissed words and Eren’s hellish tale were recalled and confusion turned into regretful understanding. Rolling over, the clock on the nightstand read 2:05AM and Levi sighed.

The sheets on Eren’s side of the bed were cold and unruffled. No doubt the kid was still on the roof sulking.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Levi got up and stumbled drowsily to the bedroom balcony. He frowned.

The doors had been closed.

Levi distinctly recalled leaving them open, so unless an unwitting robber had stumbled into his flat via the balcony…Eren must have closed them. The raven’s frown only grew as he searched the rest of the apartment in case the boy had slipped back inside. He was nowhere to be found, but the main balcony doors were also shut.

Odd. Maybe Eren was trying to keep out the cold? Or was he really that upset with Levi?

The raven chose to cling to the first option, brushing the latter away before he could think about it too hard.

Padding back to the bedroom, Levi headed for the closed glass. The night air was crisp and chilled his lungs when the raven pushed the glass doors open, shivering in the soft breeze. He stepped out onto the cold concrete, feeling a shudder rack its way through him.

“Eren?”

It was a bit of a long shot, but Levi had a feeling that the boy would be able to hear him if he hadn’t run off. There was a chance that maybe the kid wouldn’t even want to see him anymore and that thought tugged painfully at the man’s heart.

This was hard, as much as Levi hated to admit it. He wanted to forgive Eren, forgive and forget, so that the two of them could put this incident behind them, learn from it and move forward. It sounded like an easy enough goal to achieve…if only he hadn’t been through similar circumstances before.

If he was honest…it hurt less the second time around. That probably had something to do with the fact that this time he was the one being sought after in the place of another. Instead of being cheated on, he was being cheated with. But if Eren’s so called ‘fiancée’ was anything like the boy had described…were they really cheating? Or was their relationship a mercy?

Eren seemed to think it was a mercy. Or at least…he had until Levi had gone and cast blame. It was like a knee-jerk reaction after so many years of mistrust and wariness.

It had to stop.

Levi let out a little sigh, a defeated sound, and turned to head back inside. But before he could step past the glass doors, a shadow slipped down, clinging to the balcony of the apartment floor above and casting the raven into shade. Levi froze, hoping beyond hope that he wasn’t about to be thrown off his own balcony in spite, and turned back around.

A figure hung in the shadows. Sure enough, it was Eren…although he was hanging upside down from the next level balcony. The boy’s face was cast mostly in shadow, but Levi could see that his expression was carefully blank. Watchful were the eyes that followed the raven’s movements as he padded closer, looking up at the kid.

Taking a risk and running with it, Levi stretched out a hand towards the boy, leaving his palm extended towards Eren’s face but pausing a couple of centimetres from the boy’s cheek. The cautious eyes flicked over to observe the outstretched hand, and for a long moment Levi prepared himself for rejection.

But in a barely perceptible shift, Eren leaned forward and into the raven’s hand, his eyes slipping shut as the boy exhaled through his nose. The sound gentle but relieved and Levi found himself sighing as well when Eren nuzzled his face against his palm.

A second hand came up to join the first and Levi cradled the boy’s head gently, thumbs caressing the soft skin with care.

Levi wanted to kiss the boy, and badly, but he also knew better than to push his luck. Instead, he spoke.

“Are you coming to bed at all before the sun rises?” The smaller male asked in a quiet voice.

Teal eyes opened but flitted away rather than meeting Levi’s gaze.

“I’m not tired.” Eren mumbled, stubborn petulance returning.

At the very least, he was starting to sound like himself again.

“Eren…please?” Levi couldn’t remove all of the dismayed tone from his voice.

Eren looked just as regretful as Levi sounded, but he still didn’t look up. The quiet dragged on for a moment and, far below, Levi could hear crickets. The cold was starting to seep into his limbs and he knew he was shivering. Eren knew he was shivering and the kid’s tail wrapped about Levi’s hands in an effort to warm them up.

“I’ll think about it.” The boy murmured at last, giving a soft sigh. “Your hands are freezing. Go back to bed.”

“Eren, come on.” Levi implored, unmoving even as Eren’s tail slipped away again. “Can’t we talk about this?”

Finally those beautiful eyes looked into Levi’s, but Eren looked surprisingly stern.

“We’ve been talking all day and to tell you the truth, I’m growing tired of passing words back and forth. All it’s done is throw a wedge between us.”

The words were harsh, but Levi knew them to be true. He bit his lip, nodding in understanding and glancing at the ground. The raven heard Eren sigh and went to look up, but something tugged at his waist before he could raise his head and he gave a start as he was pulled closer to the hanging brat.

The pressure about his waist turned out to be Eren’s tail and when Levi did look up, he was a lot closer to the boy. Eren leant in a little nearer, pressing a feather light kiss to the raven’s forehead in an attempt to comfort, before he pulled back.

“If you still want to talk in the morning, perhaps I’ll indulge you.” The brunette murmured, flicking the fuzzy end of his tail under the raven’s chin. “Goodnight.”

“Eren…”

The last thing the raven saw of the boy was his tail swishing up and disappearing along with the rest of the demon as Eren headed back up, presumably to the roof.

Levi headed back inside, closing the balcony doors himself this time around, and slipped back into bed. All he could do was hope that, by morning, Eren had at least come back indoors.

“Goodnight, Eren…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *ducks* Don't shoot!  
> Well that was rather intense for a second there. O_O Okay, so UNI soon and I'm moving house tomorrow so I mightn't get anything posted for a day or so while I'm setting up. I'll keep writing, as always, but Lord knows when I'll be able to post again. I haven't given up on this though, there's plenty more to come! So nobody panic.  
> I'll probably take a break for a day or two, maybe tend to some of my other works to get away from the heaviness that just when down in this chapter. I'm working on some of my other stories as well, some things that I've been working on for a while. Also How To Get Away With Murder is taking up a lot of my fangirling time. Connor and Oliver, man...I love them! ^_^ That's about it, hope this lasts you till the next update!  
> If anyone wants to chat or send me a message, I'm haberkonium on tumblr and I should be able to utilise the data on my phone to reply to any comments I get here on Ao3 :) Stay safe and well, my lovelies!


	29. A Few Centimetres Too Far Apart

“So let me go, I don't want to be your hero. I just want to fight with everyone else.” - Family Of The Year, Hero.

***

 

Upon waking, Levi noticed two things. One, the bed was cold which meant he had slept alone. Two, his feet were warm.

With a confused frown furrowing the sleepy man's brow, Levi pushed up onto his elbows to cast a look down towards the end of the bed. The sight there made him feel a little less chilly.

At the foot of the bed lay a curled up Eren draped across the raven's feet, hence the warmth.

But Eren was not asleep. Teal eyes regarded the raven-haired man looking down the bed at him, blinking once as the smaller male stretched. Levi rubbed the sleep from his eyes, glancing first at the clock which read 11:43AM and then back at Eren again. It was late, much later than the raven usually woke, and Levi wondered why the boy had left him to sleep so long.

“You looked so peaceful laying there.” Eren murmured, apparently guessing the question from the look on the raven's face. “I didn't want to disturb you.”

Levi didn't like the boy's quiet tone, like the kid thought he could get in trouble at any moment. It made the raven feel like they were walking on eggshells, the stage before they could start building something new.

Sitting up, Levi scratched idly at his nape. “Did you get any sleep last night?”

He almost winced at how his own voice sounded, so unsure after only one night apart.

The boy didn't reply much apart from a shrug, letting his eyes slide shut. His breathing was even, calm, and if Levi hadn't just seen his eyes open he would have thought that the boy was out for the count.

Heaving a sigh, Levi hauled himself out of bed even though all he wanted to do was sleep for the rest of the week. Eren made a soft sound of protest when the raven pulled his feet out from under him and Levi got dressed in silence.

He paused by the bed, resting a hand on Eren's shoulder and hating the way the boy tensed at the touch.

“Do you want breakfast?”

“No.”

Levi sighed but didn't push it, ruffling the kid's hair as he headed out to the kitchen.

It wasn't until breakfast had been made and consumed and Levi stood leaning against the counter that Eren emerged from the bedroom, tail dragging, head ducked down, looking positively miserable.

Levi exhaled through his nose, feeling an uncomfortable tightness forming in his chest the longer he looked at the moping boy.

“Come here.”

It took a moment for Levi to realise that it had been him to speak, only noticing that the words had left his mouth when Eren looked up.

The boy moved closer, one step at a time, until he stood before the raven. Levi closed the space between them, slowly so as not to startle the boy, and wound his arms about the boy's middle.

“I won't say I'm sorry,” the raven began in a quiet voice, fingers rubbing small circles against Eren's back, “...and that isn't because I'm not. It's because I'm sorry for a lot of things, not just one...” Levi said through a sigh, ear pressed to the boy's chest and hearing Eren swallow like he knew where all of this was going and it hurt, “and it's about time we sat down and talked these things over.”

For a long moment the two males stood in silence. Levi realised that Eren's arms had made their way around his waist at some point and that shouldn't have felt so overwhelmingly comforting but God damn it did.

As if on terrible cue, the universe chose to make the phone ring in that precise moment. The shrill chiming sliced through the air and their moment. Levi's eyes shut and he made a soft sound of frustration.

Eren's attention drifted to the phone and he frowned when the raven didn't move to answer it right away.

Pulling back a little to look at Levi, the boy tilted his head towards the ringing device. “The phone's ringing.”

Levi opened his eyes with a sigh. “I know.”

Eren's brow began to furrow with the beginnings of a confused frown. “Aren't you going to-”

“They can call me back.” The raven stated, pulling Eren closer again.

They did call him back. Right away. Three times in a row. By the time that Levi finally gave in and answered the damned thing, he didn't even need to hear the person's voice to know who was calling.

“Hey, Levi! What's the haps?”

“Hanji...”

A moment of silence hung over the room as Hanji paused, eventually giving a mildly concerned chuckle.

“Wow...” the woman said through her anxious laughter, “you haven't sounded that pissed since the Hamster Incident of '05.”

There it was, the classic Hanji way. The second that she knew something was amiss, he wouldn't be able to get rid of her until the problem was solved or at least halfway there.

“I'm really not in the mood.” He muttered, hoping that the woman would take the hint and let him be for once.

No such luck, however, for what kind of friend would Hanji Zoe be if she didn't snoop a little to help out a friend?

“Whoa, whoa, who shot your puppy?” The woman asked, her voice beginning to sound less cheery with each passing moment. It was too late already, she knew something was wrong. “Is everything alright?”

Was everything alright? There was only one truthful answer to that question and the raven had no desire to lie, especially not to his best friend.

Levi sighed. “No.”

Another long pause took over the conversation and Levi felt the urge to start cringing, knowing full well that his friend was currently doing the dreaded act of thinking. But he didn't have to worry for too long, because the very next moment she spoke.

“That's it, come over.”

There was an authority in that voice that Levi had only heard on a few occasions and never had it been directed at him.

The raven inhaled through his nose. “I really don't think that's-”

“Don't argue with me, Ackerman.” Hanji cut him off, her tone stern. “Get your butt over here.”

Levi found himself standing a little straighter at the command but cast a quick glance back at Eren. The boy was curled up at the far end of the couch, watching his own tail twitch back and forth. Levi couldn't just leave the kid here to mope.

“I can't.” He said, eyes still trained on the brunette.

“Why not?”

“Eren is here.”

The woman gave a snort. “Well bring him too, you doofus. Duh. It'll be a party!”

Looking at the dejected boy's face and considering his own mood at that moment, the raven highly doubted that there would be any kind of party. He voiced the thought.

“No...no I really don't think it will.”

Hanji went quiet for a moment and Levi was about to ask what was wrong when she started to speak again.

“...Levi, what did you do?”

She sounded...worried. More than just a little, too, and Levi had to wonder just what thoughts had raged their way through her mind to explain why her friend sounded the way he did.

Bracing himself, Levi took in a breath. “We're coming over.”

The raven set the phone down with a sigh, turning to meet a pair of questioning teal eyes.

“Come on,” he said, calling the boy from his place on the couch, “lose the tail for a while, we're going to Hanji's.”

  
  


It was a solemn taxi drive that brought Eren and Levi to Hanji's home. Walking would have been just as easy but being driven allowed Eren to sulk in the back seat by himself. Levi would have joined him but the boy had closed the door immediately after getting into the cab.

So Levi rode in the front, keeping the ridiculously cheerful driver company. Thank God it was a quick trip, the guy's voice was grating on the raven's nerves.

Hanji was waiting for them at the door, her face mostly blank with a dab of wariness. She took one look at the pair as they exited the cab and shook her head gently, Levi walking ahead of Eren and the boy trailing behind, his usual bright curiosity seemed dampened today.

The brown-haired woman shot the raven a look as he drew nearer, speaking up as the smaller man reached the porch.

“Levi...would you see me in the kitchen for a moment?”

The raven-haired man arched a thin brow but headed down the hall anyway, turning right into the kitchen while Hanji guided Eren into the living room. The raven had just enough time to decide that this place could do with a damned good sweeping when the brown-haired woman returned.

She was being oddly quiet, not trying to start a conversation even though she knew how unlikely it was that he would try to speak first. The woman crossed the kitchen, moving passed him and resting her hands against the counter. Levi began to frown a little when he picked up the sound of her fingers drumming against the counter top, an irregular rhythm that usually meant that the woman was deciding whether or not to do something she may regret later.

Levi didn't have time to wonder what it was because in the next moment, Hanji turned back around to face him. Her eyes held none of their usual merriment, the brown orbs regarding him carefully as she moved away from the counter and came to stand before him.

Arms folded across her chest, Hanji stood there for a moment, just staring at him. They were both pros at the silent treatment, but oddly enough the raven-haired man felt as though he would be the one to break today and talk. He knew that he owed it to her for making her worry.

When the silence had stretched on painfully for a solid minute, Levi let out a heavy sigh and opened his mouth to speak when suddenly Hanji lashed out with one arm, striking him across the face with an open palm. The slap seemed to echo through the kitchen and for a moment neither of them moved.

Levi stared at the floor as he processed the stinging pain, his head still facing away after the strike and his grey eyes wide from the shock.

Hanji's breathing was a little irregular and Levi could see her hands shaking out of the corner of his eye.

“Levi...I don't like doing this.” The woman said in a quiet voice, her voice quivering a little as she held in conflicting anger and worry, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You know I don't like doing this, but you need to go and take a look at that boy and whatever you've said or done that's upset him, fix it. You promised me, Levi.”

The raven winced a little at the woman's tone of voice and at the worry and disappointment he heard. Hanji strode across the kitchen, right up to him, and put her hands on his shoulders, steering him until the smaller male was forced to look at her.

Hanji's voice was no more than a harsh whisper. “You promised me that you'd stop with the rough break-ups. No more one night stands, no more teary-eyed guys that I end up having to call because you're done with them.”

Truth be told, it had only been a few guys. A few drunk hookups that had clearly not paid attention to his 'no relationships' speech. But fair was fair, it hadn't been a healthy arrangement.

Frowning in concern, Hanji's grip on Levi's shoulders tightened a little to keep his attention.

“I don't know what you've done or said,” she looked at him, eyes near glowing with their intensity, “...but don't you dare hurt that boy. I don't care what sorry excuse you have, past trauma, relationship difficulties, whatever. Eren is the best thing that's happened to you since you shut down after...” Hanji trailed off, biting her tongue before she could finish the sentence but it was too late.

_...after Erwin left._

Levi looked at the floor. “I know.”

“I don't think you do.” Hanji retorted, shaking her head and sighed. “What did you say? Actually no, I don't want to know. Just fix it. If it's just the sex between you, then you have to make sure that Eren knows.”

Grey eyes snapped up to meet Hanji's gaze fiercely. “Of course it's more than that!” The raven hissed.

Hanji's eyes bore into his for a long moment until at last she exhaled, brown eyes slipping shut. “I don't want my best friend growing old alone,” she murmured, releasing her hold on the man, “...so go fix this. You go apologise, get down on your knees and beg if you have to, but fix it.”

The woman reached for her glasses as she crossed the kitchen again and went about preparing tea. Levi stood there looking after her for a moment as his mind processed all of the things she had just said. The kettle had already boiled and Hanji was steeping the tea by the time the raven spoke up again.

“Hanji..?”

His voice was quiet but it still reached Hanji's ears and she turned, looking over her shoulder to meet his gaze.

“Mm?”

The raven scratched at his arm idly, glancing down at the floor. “...thanks.”

A soft smile broke out on the woman's face and she exhaled through her nose, shaking her head at him as she crossed the kitchen.

“Thank me later.” The brunette said, giving the raven's shoulder a mock-shove as she passed him, heading for the front door. She already seemed a little more cheerful. “Tea's ready. I'll be out on the porch. Come get me when you're done and try not to have make-up sex on my furniture.”

“If only it were that simple, Hanj.” He murmured, following after her.

The woman paused by the front door. “You need to make it that simple.” She said, sending the raven an empathic look. “Talk it out, find your problems and solve them. Healthy relationships aren't that hard, they just take a little effort, a little love and care. Work for it...and a few words with a kiss should be all the apology either of you will ever need.” The brunette smiled gently. “Don't let me down, Lever.”

Levi watched her disappear out onto the front porch and he swallowed, looking towards the hall.

“Easier said that done...”

  
  


Eren hadn't moved from his spot on the sofa, he was still sitting with his hands clasped together on his knees, looking around the living room.

Levi spent a good ten minutes pacing about the kitchen desperately trying to find the right words to say that would make Eren forgive him. By the time he came back out, he still hadn't found the right words...but he had realised something possibly more important.

No matter what he said...he couldn't make Eren forgive him. That was something that the brunette would need to decide for himself. Levi knew already that he would still fight for Eren even knowing that he had an other-worldly rival. Hanji was right; Eren was the best thing that had happened to him since his heart had been smashed into tiny shards. And demon or no demon, Eren had been patiently gluing those shards back together one by one until Levi had begun to feel whole again.

That was what mattered, the things that Eren had done for him here were important, not the things that happened in a world that Levi would probably never understand.

The raven's first words were soft, a gentle tone that he hoped would communicate to the boy that he was not trying to manipulate his decision or force him into anything. Not that he could if he tried.

“Eren...” Levi began and the word hung in the air for a moment as the boy's eyes blinked up to meet his gaze, “I...I apologise.”

Teal eyes regarded him from across the space.

“For what?”

Those words could easily have been used to mock or hurt, but instead all Levi could hear in them was query. Honest curiosity that had Eren questioning exactly what Levi was sorry about.

“For over-reacting.” The raven began, ticking each item off in his mind as he went through. “For letting my past experiences cloud all other thought. For not letting you explain yourself. For being a selfish dick about it. For comparing you to that monster.”

They both knew he meant Erwin.

Levi rubbed at the bridge of his nose, letting a breath rattle out between his teeth. “And I know that you have every right in this world and the next to be upset with me. Hell, _I'm_ upset with me. But fuck, I can't let you go like this.”

Eren's lips parted in what looked like surprise and for a moment there was nothing but quiet while Levi sorted his words.

“Look...” the raven began, keeping his tone careful, “I can't promise that I won't get frustrated...or jealous, or even suspicious of this other guy. Having a fiancee...” Levi made a vague gesture with his hands that he hoped conveyed his confusion with the whole idea, “that's just not something that I expected to hear. It's fucking weird and I don't claim to understand it fully...but I can live with it.” The raven drew in a sharp breath, sitting at last in the seat across from Eren.

The boy was watching him with careful eyes, not daring to speak, just listening and waiting for Levi to get out his words.

Leaning forward, the raven brushed his fingers against Eren's wrist, reaching out to curl his long digits around the cool skin.

Eren didn't flinch away, so Levi continued. “I get that we're both broken, you and I,” he murmured, brushing his thumb over the underside of the boy's wrist tenderly, “and I can't promise that I'll be able to help you or make anything better. I never asked to be your sanctuary. I'm not a hero or a knight in shining armour and we both know it.”

The raven paused for a moment, just to let those words sink in. No matter how much they might want to change things, they were who they were. Levi was not a perfect and flawless person and Eren was not just an ordinary boy. They each had their flaws and differences.

Scooting forward in his seat, Levi leaned forward until his face was close to Eren's, keeping eye-contact. “But I don't want you to go.” He said, thankful that his voice had enough strength left not to tremble. “I don't want to let you go...and I hope that you don't want to let go just yet either. So...if we're both going to commit to this...then now is the time to decide. No more waiting and avoiding the issue. No more wedges driven deeper and deeper by words spoken or unspoken until we're bleeding and helpless. I want you, Eren. I'll try, if that's what you want.”

The boy's teal eyes were shining but no emotion showed on Eren's face. His voice sounded thick when he spoke. “Is it what you want?”

“Yes.” Levi didn't hesitate, didn't stutter or falter in his reply.

Those eyes narrowed as they watched him, almost glaring with the intensity of that searching gaze. Eren was looking for a lie or a glimmer of uncertainty. He found none.

The boy let out a shaky sigh, looking at the floor. “I'll have to go more often. I won't be able to spend all my time here.”

Swallowing, Levi gave a nod. “I know.”

Eren swallowed too, Levi watched the bob of his Adams apple, feeling the boy's arm twist and soon warm fingers wrapped about Levi's wrist in return.

“I can't promise that there won't be...signs...” the boy murmured in a quiet voice, eyes flicking up briefly to meet grey and the raven could see the guilt swimming in teal orbs as Eren's fingers trembled in their grip, “bruises, marks. It's going to happen and there isn't a thing that either of us can do to stop that.”

Even the mere suggestion of another being laying a hand on Eren made Levi's skin crawl and he felt a jealous swell of possessive greed lick at his insides. He fought the feeling back.

“I...” Levi swallowed, ducking his head a little, “I understand.”

“You won't be safe...” The brunette whispered at last, eyes squeezing shut as though the boy couldn't bear to think about what he was saying.

Levi gave Eren's wrist a little squeeze to comfort him. “I don't care.”

“You should think about this-”

Eren's words cut off when Levi pulled his wrist free of Eren's gentle hold and brought both of his hands up to cradle the boy's face. Gunmetal eyes had never looked fiercer than they did in that moment as Levi leant forward to rest his forehead against the brunette's.

“I don't care.” The raven repeated firmly.

Eren was silent for a long moment, looking at Levi, looking at anything but Levi and even closing his eyes until-

“Okay.”

The word left Eren's mouth on a shaky exhale, barely more than a whisper, and if the raven hadn't been so close he might not have heard the sound.

Teal eyes opened, meeting grey, and Levi let go of a breath he hadn't realised that he had been holding until the boy had spoken. The brunette leaned forward until their lips just brushed against each other, holding for a moment before the boy kissed the raven. Levi responded instantly, but Eren kept the kiss chaste and pulled away when the raven-haired man got ahead of himself and licked at the brunette's bottom lip.

Sitting back into his seat, Eren looked at Levi with such a stern expression that the smaller man sat up a little straighter in response.

“You were right before.” The brunette began. “We need to talk about this. Fully, properly. Because unless we both understand what's going on, then we're only going to keep fucking up.”

Levi couldn't agree more with the brunette's words, nodding fervently.

“So...” the raven trailed, licking his lips a little anxiously, “when do we start?”

  
  


It was a good hour and a half after Hanji had left her two boys alone to talk. She worried for them profusely, especially Levi. The last thing he needed was to destroy this, the one thing that had been reviving him after all those years of neglect. If he lost his chance now, she doubted that he would ever let another person in until the day he died. And Hanji had never seen anyone like Eren chasing after her friend. That boy acted like Levi was his last meal, his Golden Ticket, and didn't seemed to be put bothered or put off by the raven's surly demeanour.

If Eren didn't stick around after putting up with her friend for so long, then maybe no one would.

When Levi came out and offered Hanji his rare, almost invisible little half-smile, the woman jumped out of her seat nearly screaming hallelujah. Levi didn't even complain when he was swept up off the ground, into her arms and spun around several times.

“You fixed it, right?” She began babbling in excitement. “Everything's fine and dandy again?”

“We've agreed to work through it.” Levi said, unable to stop himself from smiling a little.

The woman screamed in joy when Eren emerged from the house, looking far less miserable, and he too was swept into the crushing embrace.

“Ah...all is right in the world.” Hanji sighed, holding Eren in one arm and Levi in the other. “My babies are going to be fine, the night is young and- _oh_!” The brown-haired woman exclaimed suddenly, releasing both males in order to search her pockets. “That's right, now that all the intense stuff is done with, Erwin has been trying to get through to you.”

Levi frowned at the woman's words, raising an eyebrow.

She shrugged. “That's why I called you in the first place. You know, before all the drama happened. Have you not been checking your emails?”

Levi let out a harsh hiss of a sigh. One problem solved and another presented itself. The universe definitely had to be hating on him.

Turning to Eren, the raven stretched up to press a chaste kiss to the brunette's jaw.

“I called a cab, would you flag it down when it gets here?”

Eren's eyes drifted between Levi and Hanji a few times before he nodded. “Sure.”

He left, but not without a brief nuzzle to the raven's shoulder. Hanji looked like she was about to explode.

“ _My God you have no idea how lucky you are!”_ Hanji hissed as soon as Eren was out of earshot.

Or at least as soon as Hanji thought the boy was out of earshot. Levi noticed the almost smug little curve that took over Eren's lips just after those words left Hanji's mouth. The raven rolled his eyes fondly before turning back to his bespectacled friend.

“You mentioned the dickbag?” He muttered in a wry tone.

“Hmm?” The woman said, turning back to him. “Oh, right. He came by and gave me this.” She said, handing over a folded envelope. “He's invited you to dinner. Wanted you to give him a call. You'll forgive me for reading it, right?”

The raven nodded absently, scowling at the neat cursive. Erwin fucking Smith. Why couldn't he take a hint and fuck off? What the fuck was he even doing coming back?

Levi wanted to find out.

He folded the envelope, stuffing it into his coat pocket. “We're going.”

“Home?” The brown-haired woman enquired, glancing at him.

Levi shook his head, lips set in a grim line. “To Erwin's.”

“Eh? Now?”

“Why not?” The raven shrugged, stepping out and off of the porch towards where the cab had pulled up. Eren was already climbing into the back seat. “It's still early.”

“Wait, you said 'we'...” Hanji thought aloud.

“Eren is coming. Erwin can bite me if he thinks that he can pull a stunt like this and get his way.”

“That's more like the Levi I know!” The brunette cackled down the garden path after him and the raven-haired man couldn't help the smirk that twitched into place.

“Glad to hear it.” He called back over his shoulder. “I'll let you know how things go.”

“Can't wait! Go get 'em!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to anyone and everyone who has read and supported this fic thus far! You are all amazing and your loveliness is basically the reason why I keep writing this. Give yourselves a pat on the back. Go on, do it.  
> What's that? Plot happening? *gasp*


	30. Three's Company

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dinner at Erwin's has arrived.  
> Enjoy.

“I never promised you an open heart or charity.” - IAMX, I Come With Knives.

***

 

“Levi?”

“Erwin?”

“What?”

“What. I thought we were both questioning each other's existence.” The raven-haired man said through his usual blank stare as he stood on the porch of Erwin Smith's not so humble abode.

The blonde giant of a man stood in his doorway frowning in confusion, just a slight dip of his brow.

“Can I help you?” Erwin asked after a moment of silent staring did nothing to tell him why the smaller man was there.

“Uh, yes.” Levi said, sounding a little too catty for the blonde to hope that he was in a good mood. “You invited me to dinner, you assbag.”

“Oh.” Recognition passed over the blonde's features and he gave a nod of understanding. “Hanji told you, then?”

“Yep.” The raven replied, letting the 'p' sound pop at the end as he glanced around at the Smith home.

Erwin's house seemed to radiate some kind of ancient vibe, like it should have been a few hundred years old. But the house was fairly new, it just gave off that old aura. It was probably the ornately carved wooden door with its fancy silver pattern. The windows were all lined with the same deeply stained, silver patterned wood, lending the house an odd atmosphere. It was beautiful, of course, but perhaps a little showy.

The raven cleared his throat after the moment of silence that had passed. “Is this a bad time?”

Levi had expected Erwin to say no, as he always did when taking control of a situation, but the blonde cast a glance over his shoulder. “Well...”

A thin brow rose as Levi noted the uncertainty in Erwin's tone. “Did we catch you in the middle of your knitting?”

“I don't knit...” the blonde began to defend before he paused, sending the smaller man a vaguely confused look, “we?”

Instead of explaining with words, the raven-haired man jerked a thumb over his shoulder to where a bouncy Eren was bent over halfway down the front path, staring at the fish pond with wide eyes.

“Ah.” Erwin made a sound of understanding, straightening a little. “No, it's not a terrible time. I just got back from work.”

The man was certainly dressed like it, still wearing a suit and everything. There was no jacket, but the slacks and the dress-shirt more than spoke of formal gatherings.

“Right, right.” Levi nodded, half-turning in time to see Eren almost over-balance and fall into the pond. He gave a snort. “Oi, get away from there. Knowing Erwin, they're probably part of the security. Piranhas or something.”

The brunette sent Levi a questioning glance before straightening, bounding over to the raven's side and slipping both arms about the smaller man's waist from behind.

“Hi.” Eren murmured absently at Erwin, becoming instantly preoccupied with kissing the raven-haired man's ear.

Erwin's sharp blue eyes appraised the pair; Levi with his standoffish posture, straight but casual with his arms folded over his chest, while Eren curled lazily about him, nuzzling.

“Good evening.” The blonde man said in response before standing aside, holding the door open. “Please, come in.”

They did, Levi moving ahead in silence and Eren scooting past with a grin and a murmured of 'thanks' as he chased after the retreating raven. The blonde shut the door behind them, ducking into his study to clear away a few papers which he promptly tucked under his arm, heading to the bedroom to hide them away.

The papers were stuffed under one of the pillows of his bed before Erwin returned to find his guests sitting in the living room. Well...Levi was sitting. Eren was straddling the raven's lap, too busy mouthing at the smaller man's collar bone to notice that Erwin had returned it seemed. The blonde cleared his throat and watched as Levi's eyes opened lazily. The raven sent him a little wave, apparently not at all irked by the display he and the boy were putting out. Eren paused with his lips still on Levi's skin, teal eyes swivelling to look at Erwin and the boy sent the blonde male a sheepish smile.

“Sorry.” Eren said through a huff of laughter, straightening up but making no move to find his own seat.

“The brat's been away at college for a while.” Levi lied through his teeth to excuse their behaviour.

Funnily enough, Erwin seemed to buy it. The taller man gave a nod, staring at the floor for a moment. Levi had never seen the guy so far out of his element. It made an odd sense of glee build in his chest.

“So...” the raven drew out the sound, purposefully adding to the awkward vibes already building in the enclosed room, “food?”

“Yes,” Erwin agreed, nodding and making a b-line straight for the kitchen, “I'll get right on that.”

Eren jumped up before the man could escape, calling after him.

“Hey, do you mind if _I browse_ your music collection?”

The blonde half-turned back, frowning a little the way one does when they get the feeling that someone has left them out of a joke, before shrugging and continuing forward.

“Go ahead.” The man murmured.

Levi waited until the big man was well out of earshot before he looked back at the boy who was already rifling through the blonde's stack of CDs. The raven cleared his throat.

“Really?”

Eren grinned over at him. “What? 'I browse', 'eyebrows', it was too good of an opportunity to pass by.” The boy laughed under his breath. “Do you think he noticed?”

“Nope.”

The brunette laughed again and Levi smiled, just a little smile, as he thought of how close to normal this moment felt. For just these few moments the raven could ignore their fight and the struggles to come and just watch Eren smile. Levi knew that they would have to sit down an talk this out sooner or later, but right now he had to get a message across to a certain stubborn ex. And that message read 'fuck off'.

“This place smells weird.” Eren murmured softly from across the room, breaking through the raven's thoughts.

Levi glanced up, frowning slightly. “I don't smell anything.”

The brunette sniffed again and wrinkled his nose. “Lucky.”

Leaning forwards, the smaller man inhaled but still failed to pick up anything out of the ordinary. “What is it?”

“I don't know...” Eren trailed uncertainly, sounding mildly worried, “something just seems...off.”

Levi took one look at the unsure expression on Eren's face and decided that he didn't like it. If there was something worrisome enough to make a demon concerned, then Levi wasn't feeling very comforted. But the minutes ticked by and nothing happened. The pair tried to brush the feeling off.

“It's probably the old man vibes coming off of Erwin.” Levi joked half-heartedly.

 

Erwin wasn't lying about food, some kind of tomato and herb smell started wafting from the kitchen. Eren didn't want to admit it, but the smell wasn't awful. Maybe it would be one of those things where food smelt great and then tasted like cat litter. Yeah, hopefully.

The boy had taken to exploring the blonde's living room, picking up things and staring at them for long moments, like the kid was deliberating whether or not to break something. But Eren was all smiles and boyish charm whenever Erwin came into the room. If Levi didn't know better, he would have assumed that nothing was wrong. If only he didn't know better.

The brunette appeared in his lap suddenly, making himself comfortable and staring in the direction of the kitchen.

“I honestly don't see it.” Eren murmured from his place on the couch.

Levi tilted his head in the boy's direction, putting an arm around the kid to keep him steady as he leaned to see over the back of the sofa. “See what?”

“What you saw in him.” Eren replied absently, scowling for a moment as Erwin passed the kitchen door.

The raven let out a quiet scoff of laughter. “Well he used to be an okay guy.”

“Levi, he's playing piano concert tracks in his house.” Eren muttered, lolling his head to one side to cast a dubious look at the smaller man. The boy's eyebrows rose. “On purpose.” He said for emphasis when the raven cock a thin brow in response. “And that's not because he's trying to be ironic. It's because he actually enjoys classical music.”

Levi exhaled in amusement at that, having to agree with Eren. Erwin's taste in music was dull, plain and simple.

“I'm pretty sure he's even humming along in there, Levi, come on.” The brunette sighed, leaning his head against the raven's shoulder as he complained. “The dude's about as interesting as watching paint dry. On a Sunday.”

A pause passed between them in which Levi successfully kept a smile off his face

“He's fifty shades of ugh.”

“Okay, okay,” Levi chuckled at last, pulling the boy closer, “I get your point.”

“Sauce is almost done.” Erwin's voice announced suddenly, interrupting what would have been a perfect moment for Levi to kiss Eren.

Thankfully the brunette didn't want to give up that moment and kissed the raven anyway, teal eyes slipping shut while Levi took up the responsibility of glaring at the blonde behemoth.

Only when Eren pulled away did Levi bother to respond to Erwin's statement. “I assume we're having pasta then?”

The blonde made an affirmative sound, glancing away, and for a moment the man looked uncomfortable in his own home. For once it wasn't Levi. A timer went off in the kitchen and Erwin disappeared again.

“Oh my God, Levi, his entire movie collection is about cowboys.” Eren groaned. “It's country and western central over here”

“Shoot me now.”

 

Not fifteen minutes later and Erwin was announcing that dinner was just about ready. It sure smelled like it.

Levi almost couldn't believe his ears when Eren announced that he was going to help set the table. The kid sounded so chipper that for a moment the raven forgot that the boy was centuries old. Maybe more, but they had never really touched on that topic in detail. It was strange to think that a creature who had lived that long could still act like a child. By all counts, Eren should be some kind of wise nomadic being. Apparently demons didn't follow that kind of status-quot, figures.

Speaking of people not acting how one might expect, Erwin was being unusually quiet. Not that the guy went out of his way to speak unless he had something important to get across but, even for the observant and withdrawn man that Mr. Smith was, today he barely voiced a thought.

It was beginning to make Levi feel uneasy.

Erwin was acting a little less unlike himself once the food hit the table and after the first few moments of awkward silence, Eren interrupted with a casual statement of 'damn, I was hoping that you couldn't cook' which thankfully did not seem to offend the blonde. It was almost a relief to hear the guy laugh, finally breaking from his bout of silence, and as conversation finally began to drift over the table the raven found himself able to relax a little.

The dinner was nice, in a way. The food was decent, Eren's chair was scooted so close to Levi's that the kid practically sat on his lap the whole time and Erwin seemed to be picking up the less than subtle hints that the raven was spoken for. Fucking finally.

They spoke about trivial things, like cooking, and Levi watched in amusement as Eren tried to guess the ingredients in their food. Things were going swimmingly when the sound of a phone ringing reached Levi's ears.

“That yours?” The raven murmured across the table at Erwin, taking a sip of the wine that the blonde had provided.

Frowning a little, Erwin searched his trouser pockets, eventually pulling out a silver mobile which he held to his ear. Levi noticed his frown had deepened since seeing the contact name.

“Hello?” The blonde answered, pausing as whoever was calling spoke. The man's lips set in a thin line and he sighed. “Alright, I'll see what I can do.”

With a longwinded sigh, Erwin ended the call and stood, pocketing his phone and rubbing his temples.

Levi arched a thin brow. “Trouble?”

“That was work,” the blonde replied, checking his watch and frowning, “something has come up. I have to step out for a bit but this shouldn't take too long. I'll be back in an hour, give or take.” Erwin snatched up a briefcase from beneath one of the fancy desks pressed against the wall, glancing at his watch again. “Would you watch the house for me?”

The raven shrugged. “Sure.”

Erwin left with a word of thanks, stopping only to collect his coat by the door. And then Eren and Levi were alone with the house to themselves.

The moment the door closed behind the blonde, Eren heaved a sigh and slumped against the raven with a groan.

“Ugh...” the brunette grumbled, “can we go home now?”

“No, you twerp.” Levi chided, tugging at the kid's earlobe. “We just promised to watch the house.”

“ _You_ promised.” The boy corrected.

Without Erwin around to keep up the chipper act for, Eren instantly deflated.

The brunette gave a sigh. “My face hurts.”

Huffing out a laugh, Levi gave the boy's knee a comforting squeeze. “Probably because of all the smiling.”

“Probably.” Eren agreed, although the word was muffled by Levi's shoulder.

The boy looked a little tired, still feeling pretty down in the dumps after such an emotionally draining day, and after a few long moments of silence Levi found himself wishing for his apartment sofa where they could have curled up.

The raven glanced down at the brunette, sighing after a moment. “Get up.”

Frowning a little in his confusion, the boy lifted his head to glance up at Levi. “Huh?”

“Get up.” Levi kissed the boy's forehead before the kid could get any crazy ideas that he was being rejected, coaxing the brunette out of his lap so that they could both stand. “Erwin's fucked off, we can go sit in the living room. Fuck these fancy chairs.”

At the very least, Eren's face brightened.

Levi took the lead, bringing Eren out of the dining room and away from the stiff-backed chairs. They flopped down onto the much more comfortable sofa, Levi pulling Eren down with him, and the pair relished the first real close contact they had had since their argument. Levi couldn't believe how good it felt just to lay there holding Eren, to hear his peaceful breathing and feel the pleasant warmth against his chest.

“Sorry we had to come here tonight.” The raven murmured in a quiet voice after guilt had eaten away at him for a while.

“It's fine.”

“It isn't.” Levi shook his head, ready to launch off into another speech about apologies.

“Shh...” Eren hushed, propping himself up on his elbows to look down at the raven, “I get what we're doing here. Erwin needs to get it through his head that your ass is mine.”

At those words, Levi found himself smiling a little. Just a tiny bit, the kind of smile only suited for the kind of dim light that they were in now with only the light from the dining room shining in. Dark and private and for nobody else to see.

“What about the rest of me?” The raven found himself saying, cocking an eyebrow in a display of playfulness.

“Don't be cheeky.” Eren laughed softly, smiling down at Levi for a long moment.

It was just a small curve of the boy's lips, soft, more out of tenderness than amusement. A gentle hand traced along the raven's jaw, fingers brushing the pale skin adoringly as Eren's eyes dropped to Levi's mouth and he leaned in.

A simple kiss had never made Levi feel so much pain. Eren's lips pressed against his softly, careful and cautious, and Levi felt a tight knot clenching in his chest.

They parted and the raven exhaled.

“Eren-” he started, but was cut off by a second kiss.

Only this time Levi was sure that Eren was trying to make him ache.

Eren's lips moved with purpose, meeting Levi's with barely concealed desperation. The boy took advantage of the raven's parted lips to push his tongue inside, exploring Levi's mouth as though his only desire was to commit that cavern to memory.

Levi wanted to kiss him back, wanted to respond with that same passion and memorise every last minute detail of this extraordinary boy. But the hot wet droplets falling against his cheeks had him frozen.

Eren was crying.

Silent tears had escaped the boy's lids which had shut tight, hiding those beautiful eyes that must have held so much pain in that moment but Eren didn't want to show Levi such weakness. But the raven would have none of that. Pushing gently at the boy's chest, Levi coaxed Eren back until he could speak.

“Eren?” The raven brought up his hands to cup either side of the boy's face, thumbs brushing away each new tear that came. “Don't cry...come on, talk to me.”

Eren sniffed, giving a slight start when he felt the feather-light press of Levi's lips against each of his closed lids. The act was so tender that it actually eased a sob out of the brunette.

The sound was heartbreaking and Levi drew Eren into his arms with hushed words of comfort.

“Talk to me.” Levi implored, at a loss of what to do.

“I'm scared to go back.” The boy said in a rush, drawing in a stuttering breath. “I-I'm scared, Levi. Scared of what might happen. Scared of...what _he_ might do.”

Levi understood the boy's concerns, holding him tighter and pressing a kiss to the shell of his ear. “It'll be alright.”

“I want you to take me before I go.” The brunette said suddenly and Levi couldn't think of a single thing to say as he watched the boy lean back, staring into the raven's astonished eyes and nodding to himself once, still breathing unsteadily. “Please.” Eren begged, his eyes slipping shut again. “Please...I can't let _him_ take me first.”

“Your fiancée?”

Eren nodded frantically, words tumbling out of his mouth in his steadily rising state of panic. “I want it to be you. I need to know the difference. I-”

“Eren.” Levi's tone rose just a little to gain the boy's attention. “Eren, Christ, don't cry.”

“Please, Levi?” The brunette stared imploringly at the raven even as the smaller man brushed away more tears.

“Eren, we can't. Not here.”

“But-”

“No,” the raven said, but there was something in his stern tone that made Eren feel as though the smaller man wasn't outright denying him, “I'm not going to have this crummy house be the first place that I make love to you.” Levi scowled at their surrounds. “We'd need more time than that. I want you to remember every second of your first time.” The grey-eyed male stretched up to press a chaste kiss to Eren's lips, running a hand through the boy's soft hair as he pulled back. “But not here.”

The brunette nodded in understanding. “Home, then?”

“Okay.” Levi agreed, staring up into the intense teal gaze above him. “Okay, but not tonight.”

“Then let me do you?” Eren suggested instead, pleading a new case this time. The boy's whole demeanour shifted and his expression was deadly serious. “Please? I don't want our bond to fade.”

After the increasing distance and strain that their argument had caused, Levi wanted nothing more than to dive into a round of make-up sex and move right along. But then this wasn't their turf.

“What if Erwin-”

“If that asshole comes back before we're finished, let him watch.” Eren said so seriously that Levi couldn't have laughed even if he had wanted to. The brunette raised an eyebrow as if daring the raven to challenge the idea. “Nothing says 'taken' like a dick up the ass display in your own home.”

Levi's own eyebrows shot skywards and for a moment the two males simply stared each other down.

“...wow, brat.” The raven managed after a moment. “That was dark.”

“You love it.” The boy shot back through a vaguely smug smirk.

Levi scoffed softly. He did love it.

Eren ducked his head to bite at the raven's collar bone, sucking hard enough to draw a sound out of the other man.

The brunette glanced up through dark eyes. “Let's defile this place.”

No other words would have suited the brat better in that moment and the raven didn't have to think very hard about the boy's suggestion.

“Hold on.” Levi said, sitting up and pulling Eren with him. “If we're doing this, then there's only one place to go.”

The pair clung to each other eagerly as they stumbled through the house, blindly clawing at clothing as they ducked down the dimly lit hallway.

Eren laughed when he was led straight to the blonde's bedroom. “Fuck yes.”

Levi shrugged as they stepped into the room. “Waste not, want not.”

“God I love it when you get clever.” Eren practically growled the words out as he pulled Levi closer to him, making it a little difficult to remove his shirt but it was worth it for the heated kiss when they met in the middle.

Clothes were left in a messy pile, Eren's things mixed up with Levi's, but the two couldn't bring themselves to give a shit.

Two naked bodies landed on the bed with a _whump_ , already tangled up with each other. Saliva put to good use in the absence of proper lubrication, Eren bit at Levi's lip to distract from any discomfort as his fingers worked below to scissor him open. It wasn't exactly the smoothest sex they had but Levi ignored the dull burn in favour of relishing the closeness, the lack of distance between them was something he had been craving for days.

Their mouths met in frantic intervals, messy and careless and hungry for the taste of the other's lips and tongue. Searching lips latched on to whatever skin they could reach between heated kisses, mouthing and nibbling. Two fingers worked in and out of the raven at a good pace and Levi arched his back a little when Eren introduced a third digit for good measure.

Hips bucking up, both males gasped when the involuntary action allowed their cocks to rub together in a moment of scorching pleasure. Levi hooked a leg around the brunette's waist to try and encourage the boy to let the blissful friction continue.

The waiting game could only go on for so long before both males were begging for more, too desperate for finesse or elegance as they scrambled to readjust themselves. Even bracing himself for the intrusion to come, Levi couldn't stop the needy moan that forced its way past his lips as Eren pushed his saliva-slicked cock into the tight heat of his ass. It hurt but it was bearable, the feeling was just as overwhelming as it always was, delightfully filling and nothing like the fingers that had been stretching him beforehand.

Panting already, the pair set themselves a hasty pace. Eren's thrusts were long and driving, each jolt to the raven's cock was a delicious claim as the brunette pounded into him. Levi met each push with vigour, grinding his own hips and loving the way Eren's thrusts pushed the air from his lungs every time.

The raven panted out the boy's name whenever he had the breath to spare, watching the way Eren's eyes grew darker with each breathless rasp from him. It was becoming very difficult to hold back the increasingly embarrassing sounds that were trying to push their way out of Levi's mouth. Some he could hold back, others would not be silenced.

Levi could not even begin to imagine the kind of expression that Erwin would have if he were to walk in now, with Levi moaning on his back like a three dollar whore and Eren taking the reins from above. The boy had a firm hold of the raven's hips, keeping them at the perfect angle for the brunette to strike his prostate dead on. It certainly helped to distract from any discomfort.

Eren was losing it, letting go of his control and growling more often than he was breathing and the _sound_ of it set Levi's skin on fire. Heat burned in his gut, ready to break, and Levi was tingling all over in anticipation, practically vibrating with need. Toes curling, mouth hanging open and panting like a dog in heat, Levi didn't even try to control the wanton moans that Eren's thrusts tore from his throat.

“ _You're mine._ ”

That inhumanly deep growl of words was the last thing that Levi needed. The possessive hunger in burning eyes and the almost painful grip that Eren had on his hips along with the assault on his abused prostate had the raven's back arching off the mattress. Levi's hands clawed at the sheets and Eren's back desperately and his mouth was open around a silent scream of ecstasy as orgasm tore through him. He painted Eren's stomach and his own in hot milky white, gasping as the pleasure jolted through him.

The brunette followed soon after, thrusting his way through his release and muttering a litany of 'mine, mine' by Levi's ear.

The raven felt raw and satisfied to his bones, becoming a weak-limbed, panting mess as he lay there feeling waves of post-coital bliss soak through him. Eren pulled out of him with a low groan before collapsing on top of him. The boy made himself comfortable against the raven's chest and Levi couldn't even care enough to make him move because it was too hot for them to be laying together, it just felt too good to be close.

Eventually, though, they had to get up and get clean, even going so far as to 'borrow' Erwin's shower for a quick freshen up before they got dressed. It had been a task and a half getting Eren up after he became a boneless heap of limbs. All the boy wanted to do was lay there for the rest of the night, blissed out and sated and curled up with Levi.

Clean and dressed, Eren sat on the edge of the bed, leaning back against the headboard. He frowned.

“What?” Levi asked, fixing his collar. “What's with that face?”

Eren had turned, pressing against the pillows. It took a moment for Levi to recognise the muffled crinkling sound coming from beneath the fabric but soon Eren had reach under the pillows and withdrawn...paper?

“What the fuck?” The raven's brows rose up before drawing together. “Who keeps paper in bed?”

Eren's confused frown had turned into something a lot less favourable, the boy's brow creasing as he glanced over the papers. He held them out to Levi wordlessly, not bothering to look up.

Cocking a thin brow, the smaller male strode over to the bedside and accepted the papers, bringing them into the light to read...

His name?

Levi could feel himself beginning to frown more as he read a file containing his name, age, place of employment, address and just about anything else someone unsavoury might want to know about him. Under that was a handwritten report concerning his movements since...

...since Erwin had come back.

Levi didn't understand. Why was this here? Why would Erwin have something like this? Could it be an accident? But then...why was the written report in Erwin's handwriting?

“What the fuck is going on?” Levi all but whispered to himself.

“Golden boy Smith isn't so perfect after all...” Eren muttered darkly, pushing up from the bed suddenly. “Somebody's here. I think Erwin is back, quick, give those to me.”

The boy took the papers from a bewildered Levi, quickly shoving them back under the pillow and tidying the room up at record speed. Levi barely noticed that he had been guided out of the room until he heard the sound of keys in the front door.

Grey eyes snapped up.

“Eren.”

The brunette was heading for the guest bathroom, just about to disappear down the hall, but he turned back at the sound of Levi's voice.

“Eren, I don't understand.”

The boy grimaced, glancing about the place. He had thought it was odd before, the overkill of silver collections, the cross hanging above the bed and, to top it off, the papers.

“I think I'm beginning to.” The brunette murmured in response. “Take care of blondie for a minute. We're leaving soon. I just...I have to check something.”

“Eren?” Levi whispered uncertainly because he was still trying to process everything and nothing made sense.

And then Eren was there, right in front of him and cradling the raven's head in his hands. “It's fine.” He murmured in assurance, kissing both of the smaller man's temples. “I won't be long.”

The brunette disappeared in a blur of movement, streaking down the hallway just before Erwin came in through the door. The blonde-haired man didn't seem to notice anything amiss as he closed the heavy wooden frame behind him.

Levi stood stock still, having paused at the end of the hall, and he waited. He had to get his shit together, act normal, or else risk chancing that the blonde would find out about their little discovery. Erwin hung up his coat with a sigh, stepping through and heading down the hall towards him. When the blonde-haired man looked up, he gave a slight start to see Levi standing there.

“Oh, I thought you'd have gone by now.” The man said honestly, eyebrows shooting up.

The raven managed his usual deadpan expression, folding his arms. “You asked me to mind the house. I did it. Geez, I'm not _that_ _much_ of an asshole.”

Erwin gave a small, amused exhale at that and nodded as if to agree with Levi.

So far, so good, Levi thought to himself as he observed the blonde giant of a man. He didn't look like the kind of person that would keep files on his ex-boyfriends. Unless Erwin was secretly a serial killer. Or a stalker.

But he just looked so _normal_ with his business clothes and silver watch and, heck, even the simplistic silver cross that hung from his neck.

Levi wanted to ask, wanted to scream really, about the papers that Eren had found. Speaking of which, where was that boy? He still hadn't come back from whatever the hell he wanted to check up on.

“Where's Eren?” Erwin asked, as if only just noticing that the brunette wasn't with Levi.

Shit. Think of a believable lie.

“He went to the bathroom.” The raven replied, casting a glance over his shoulder. “Must be a shit though, cos he's taken his sweet-ass time.”

Erwin chuckled at that and Levi noticed how close they were. He moved to lean against the wall, a casual move that got him a little breathing space without cluing in Erwin. The blonde looked like he wanted to say something but he was having trouble fining the right words. That in itself was strange for Erwin; he always knew what to say and how to say it.

Levi's eyes swept over the man again, searching for any signs that he should not be standing this close to the guy. Erwin wasn't displaying any obvious signs of aggression. He was a little tense, maybe, but that didn't worry the raven as much as the dark spot of colour that he spied just under the blonde's shirt cuff.

Tiny spots, like paint only what the fuck would Erwin be doing near paint? They were minuscule, difficult to see in the dim light, but dark in colour. Perhaps a black or a very dark red.

Grey eyes widened infinitesimally.

_Blood?_

Erwin shifted his weight again and Levi was speaking before he really knew what he was saying.

“Is there an actual reason that you wanted me to come over?” The raven asked, looking up into blue eyes. “Or are you still going through withdrawals?”

He had to know, had to ask and be sure.

The blonde let out a quiet sigh. “There's a reason.” He announced.

Levi felt a shiver run through him, glancing at the blood spots again and hoping that his own blood wouldn't be joining those marks.

“Well?” The smaller man prompted.

Erwin exhaled and rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking a little exasperated. “I really wish you hadn't brought Eren.” The taller man said through a sigh. “I didn't want to have to bring him into this.”

The uneasy feeling was back and Levi had to remind himself not to act suspiciously.

“What?” He asked, and there was absolutely no need to fake his confusion. “What the fuck are you on about?”

“I know what you are, Levi.”

Erwin's words hung in the air, heavy and accusatory and just plain alarming.

The raven's eyebrows shot up. “...excuse me?”

“Don't play games.” The blonde-haired man said and his tone dropped a little lower with the warning. “It's the whole reason that I'm here. At first it was just a few bodies disappearing around your neighbourhood, but that's not what struck me as odd. It was the lack of evidence left behind.” Erwin was muttering almost to himself as he rambled on about theories, but soon blue eyes flickered up to meet alarmed grey, the blonde completely unaware of the shadow that had crept passed the end of his hallway. “And then when I came back and saw you...it all made sense. I mean, you're reclusive, you seem to generally dislike humans anyway...”

The blonde continued on but Levi didn't hear everything that he said. He was too busy staring at the absolutely terrifying expression on Eren's face.

The boy had appeared at the end of the hall, standing so still that he looked like a statue. He wasn't moving, wasn't breathing or even blinking...and his eyes were glowing like red fire. Those red lights were the only thing illuminating the brunette's face and it rooted Levi to the spot.

“...I know that you're not human, Levi...” Erwin was still blathering on, “I don't know how I could have missed it before, all those years we spent together, I should have seen...”

Somewhere in the back of the raven's fear-clouded mind, he made the connection. Erwin thought that Levi was a demon. The blonde actually believed that his ex was a demonic monster from Hell. Levi supposed it made sense; he had been living with one, so the signs would have been right there the whole time. The abnormal weather affected by the transformations, the steadily growing stream of people going missing, never to be found again.

Only Erwin had the wrong person. It would have been laughable had the true demon not been standing there at the end of the hall with bloody murder written across his face. Levi couldn't tear his eyes away from the boy's face, so cold, and the eyes that seemed dead and hollow even as they burned.

“...are you listening?” Erwin's voice started to drift back to him.

Levi blinked, looking away for a second and up into fierce blue eyes. He opened his mouth but no words came out. Then-

“Levi?” Eren's voice called, suddenly closer.

A whole lot closer.

The brunette walked passed Erwin from behind, apparently needing no more than a second to get from one end of the hall to the other. An arm wrapped about the raven's waist, Eren's arm, and the boy stood beside him.

“Should we be going?” The brunette asked, smiling like everything was okay, like he hadn't just been plotting a thousand and one ways to kill a moment ago.

Levi only blinked at him, looking back to Erwin and wondering if this would be the last time he ever saw that face. Because as scared as he was to admit it to himself, Levi wasn't sure whether Erwin Smith would make it through the night.

The raven licked his lips to wet them and nodded, shifting a little closer in the boy's hold.

“Yeah.”

Something flickered in Erwin's eyes, something that passed too quickly for Levi to fully identify it. But he fully recognised the look in Erwin's eyes that followed as they moved between Eren and Levi over and over again, squinting a little until finally disbelief flashed in those blue orbs.

The blonde opened his mouth to speak, but for once no words came out.

Eren smiled at the befuddled man. “Do you believe in God?” The boy asked, his tone one of pure curiosity.

Erwin's mouth closed and he frowned towards the boy before replying. “I do.”

Whatever the blonde-haired man saw on Eren's face must have been truly startling if the expression on Erwin's face was any indication. The big man paled.

“Pity.” Eren murmured in an absent tone, tilting his head. “I thought you’d know better than that.”

The boy stepped forward, guiding Levi with him as they moved passed the dumbfounded blonde.

“What are we talking about here, Eren?” Erwin spoke up after a moment, not bothering to turn.

“We’re not talking, we’re leaving.” The brunette replied shortly, calling over his shoulder in a merry tone that did not suit the atmosphere. “Goodbye, thanks for the food. Levi and I are heading home.”

The pair made it all the way to the front porch before Erwin moved.

“Levi!” They heard him shout from within the house, the sound followed with heavy and rapid footsteps.

The brunette sneered, turning on his heel probably to knock the big man flat, but the raven caught the boy's arm.

“Go.” Levi murmured, nodding towards the street. “I’ll catch you up.”

Eren growled low in his throat, teal eyes never leaving the door as he waited.

“Eren...go on.”

The brunette's attention snapped towards the raven after a long moment but the boy was still scowling. He didn't enjoy being told what to do.

“Fine.” Eren bit out the word, turning on his heel and striding away briskly.

But the boy didn't stop by the road, he marched right out of the driveway and headed behind one of Erwin's hedges. Moments later a dark shape tore off from the ground and Levi heard fading wing-beats.

The raven grimaced; Levi really hoped that the kid wouldn’t set fire to his apartment in blind rage. The smaller man vaguely recognised the sound of the front door being opened and the footsteps that followed.

“Levi…who is that boy?” Erwin's voice sounded right behind him.

The raven didn't so much as flinch, turning to look at the taller man. The smaller male had always wondered what Erwin would look like scared. Now he knew.

Levi decided to play dumb, too tired to bother with any kind of clever conversation. “I thought we’d established that he’s my partner?”

“I could see that.” Erwin said, his tone vaguely frustrated. “But…how long have you known him? When did you meet? Where did you meet?”

“Why all these questions all of a sudden?” The raven-haired man complained, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“I just want to make sure that you’re safe.” Erwin said and for once his eyes held only earnest.

Levi scowled, giving a dubious scoff. “Excuse you. A few minutes ago you said I wasn't even human.”

“I'm still debating on that issue.” The blonde admitted, and for the first time Levi noticed that Erwin was being cautious around him. “When did you meet him?”

When the raven realised that Erwin probably wouldn't shut the fuck up until he gave some kind of response, Levi hissed out a sigh.

“A month ago? More? I don't keep count of the days.”

Thick eyebrows rose in surprise. “That’s quite sudden for a relationship…especially for you.”

“I know!” Levi snapped. “But it’s none of your business anyway.”

“It could be.” Erwin murmured, holding up his hands in a defensive gesture when the raven rounded on him. “How did you meet?”

“…”

“Alright, what about his name?”

Levi frowned up at the other man. “Eren?”

“What’s his last name?” Erwin pushed.

The raven thought about that and realised that the kid had never mentioned a last name. Did demons even have last names?

“…I don’t see what your point is here.” Levi answered after a long moment.

“You don’t know, do you?”

“Listen, I think it’s about time you backed the fuck off.” Levi snapped defensively, hands clenching into fists. “I like Eren and Eren likes me. End of story. Notice how you weren’t in that story? That’s how I want it to stay.”

“Levi-”

“No, Erwin.” The raven cut him off sternly. “Let it go.”

The blonde looked like he had more to say, a lot more if the stubborn expression twisting his brows was anything to go by, but in the end Erwin just sighed. He reaching into his back pocket, pulling out something small and holding it out in the palm of his hand.

“Just…see if you can get him to drink this.”

Levi arched an eyebrow as the blonde man handed over a vial filled with what looked like water.

“What is it?” Grey eyes flicked up to meet cautious blue.

“It’s harmless.” Erwin assured him, reaching out to take Levi's wrist. “Just a precaution.”

The blonde coaxed the raven's curled fist to open, placing the object in Levi's palm.

“Erwin.” The raven's tone held warning, but the blonde was already retreating back along the porch.

“It's for the best, I swear.” He heard Erwin mutter before closing his door.

Casting a suspicious glance at the vial, Levi pocketed it and headed for the street to catch a cab. Perhaps Eren would be able to tell him what the substance was?

Getting a cab wasn't too difficult and from there all Levi had to do was wait. Wait and hope that Eren wouldn't be in a wrathful mood. Hell, would he even be at the apartment? As the minutes ticked by, the raven found himself getting more and more edgy. He told the driver to step on it, throwing a few bills in their lap the moment the car stopped with a murmur of 'keep the change' and he nearly ran up to his building.

The raven didn't bother knocking upon reaching the apartment, instantly fumbling for his keys instead. Before he could even locate them in his coat pocket, the door was being pulled open to reveal a familiar brown-haired brat. Levi breathed a sigh of relief.

It was short lived.

“We need to talk.” Eren said, practically dragging the raven through the door. “Erwin is a goddamned cardinal.”

Levi stumbled a little as he was released from Eren's grip, turning to face the boy and frowning, confused.

“What?”

“A priest.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it continues...


	31. Who You Thought I Was

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is un-beta'd because my beta is sick. Apologies if there are any horrible mistakes in this.  
> Explanations, lots of talking and a well needed discussion about compromise.  
> Enjoy!

“Now you're just somebody that I used to know.” – Gotye, Sombody That I Used To Know.

***

 

The words kept swimming between the raven's ears, present and yet not sinking in. Somewhere in between hearing Eren speak and floundering to process thought, the brunette had guided Levi over to the couch. A good thing too, because the raven was beginning to feel a little dizzy.

“My ex is a priest?” Levi managed to voice at last.

Eren nodded grimly beside him. “Yes, and a fucking exorcist too, I’ll bet.”

Well that was just absurd. Why on God's green Earth would Erwin Smith decide to become a preacher of the faith? From his seat beside him, Eren gave the raven's shoulder a comforting squeeze.

“How are you taking it?”

He wasn't really taking it in at all. Everything was just so confusing. First the weird vibes at Erwin's house, then the file under his pillow and that fucking vial of...whatever.

“Think about it, Levi.” Eren's voice began somewhat gently, but it was becoming apparent that even the brunette was affected by the news. “He upped and left without even giving a reason? Why else would that be unless it was because he did have a reason. It was just a reason that you wouldn't have accepted. I mean, who just fucks off to join a church calling?” The boy's tone grew less calm with each passing moment. “That fucker just went away suddenly, just _left_ under mysterious circumstances to go and study abroad and then the guy spends a year in Rome? The bastard probably works for the fucking Vatican!”

The raven listened to Eren's rant, thinking it over. True enough, Erwin had left without so much as a hint of warning. And Hanji had told him way back that their old friend had been in Europe checking out all that old architecture. Had that just been a cover for Mr. Smith? Was he giving them a version of the truth? Passing off his visits to multiple churches and monasteries as simple sight-seeing?

That motherfucking plain-faced liar.

“He gave me this.” Levi said, cutting off the latest of Eren's mutterings about ripping out fingernails with his teeth and reaching into his coat pocket. The raven drew out the vial that the blonde-haired man had given him and held it out to Eren. “Any idea what it is?”

The brunette edged closer to the raven, regarding the clear substance with a sneer.

“Holy water.” The boy muttered, his eyes flashing dangerously. “That fucker gave you holy water.”

“Holy water?” Levi frowned, pulling the vial back and away from the boy. “Can that hurt you?”

“No,” the brunette replied, standing and snatching up the vial as he paced a few steps away. Teal eyes never left the bottle as he held it up to the light, “it more of your kind's religious bullshit…but the fact that he thinks it can…”

Levi pushed up from the sofa, moving after the boy but pausing when he saw the expression on Eren's face. Something dark was building behind teal eyes…something dangerous.

“I ought to rip out his fucking intestines and feed them to him…that son of a bitch thinks he scares me? I will _end_ him...” Eren’s voice lowered to nothing more than a growl, too deep to be considered human as his eyes dulled, “ _…I’ll tear his goddamned throat out!_ ”

The light overhead flickered and the raven could have sworn that the shadows in the place were moving, creeping in.

The walls were beginning to shake, rattling the cupboards, and Eren looked like he couldn't see or hear anything around him, completely unaware of anything but the thoughts in his own head.

Levi took a step back, almost flinching when the brunette’s attention flitted back to him. All at once those dead eyes softened and grew bright once more as the shadows returned to normal. The brunette held out a hand towards Levi, instantly wary of spooking him, and Eren took a step towards the raven.

“Levi, no, I didn’t mean to…” the boy cursed under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at the floor, “I’m sorry. Did I frighten you?”

“Just a bit.” The raven answered, opting for honesty plain and simple.

Sometimes Levi forgot that the bouncing brat he knew most of the time was in fact a man-eating magic-wielding embodiment of terror. But there were moments...bone chilling moments...where it became all too clear.

Eren took a careful step forward, teal eyes gentle, pleading and apologising all at once. Those eyes said one thing...

_Don't run._

_Please don't run._

Levi didn't run. He stood his ground and tried to relax as Eren edged closer, letting the boy wrap him up in his arms. The raven was pulled into a warm embrace, Eren resting his chin atop Levi’s head.

“I’m sorry.” The boy murmured and Levi felt him press a kiss atop his head. “I really am.”

“It's alright...” Levi promised, pulling back and running his hands over Eren's arms. “We're alright.”

The raven drew the brunette back towards the sofa, coaxing Eren down and following right behind him. Carefully, the smaller male settled atop of the boy's stomach, bending down to kiss him. Slowly, tenderly, until Eren made a soft sound and kissed him back. They stayed like this, their mouths gently working together, soft and pliant and warm. It was one of those rare moments that both males wished would never have to end.

But it did, as all moments do, and left the two piecing together their thoughts.

The raven was the first to break the silence. “Erwin's a priest?” Levi shook his head. “How did you even make that connection?”

Eren made gave a longwinded sigh, blowing air towards his eyes. “The cross was a bit of a give-away.” The boy admitted, stretching up to peck the raven on the bridge of his nose. “And the weird vibes of that fucking house... But mostly the silver.”

Levi's brow folded into a small frown. “Silver?”

“Yeah.” The boy said, reaching up to trace a finger across the silver metal of the ring in Levi's brow.

Eren smiled.

The raven leaned into the touch, exhaling through his nose and letting his eyes close. “What the fuck does that have to do with anything?”

“It's kind of like our vulnerability to fire.” The boy explained, waiting for the raven to look at him before continuing. “Only slightly different. I can’t touch silver. It’s pure and therefore it reacts badly to my kind.”

Suddenly Levi understood why Eren was smiling as he touched him; the raven's piercings were just metal. Not proper silver. Levi thanked his lucky stars for that; the last thing he wanted was to hurt the boy.

“How bad is the reaction?” The raven asked, sitting back.

“Kind of like a solid form of acid.” Eren replied with a shrug, trying to play casual but a haunted look in the boy's eyes betrayed him. “I was almost burned alive in a vat of the fucking stuff. Boiling silver is a bitch, let me tell you.”

“Wait, what?” Levi straightened properly, eyes growing a little wider in alarm.

“Oh nothing.” The brunette assured him, running soothing hands along the raven's shoulders. “Just a little past experience I’d rather forget.”

Levi's face set in a grim mask as he recalled Eren's stories. “You’ve had this kind of trouble before.” He murmured, mostly to himself.

“Yeah. When I first came to your world.” Eren nodded, pleased that the raven remembered. “I wasn’t careful, I killed as it pleased me and of course I was discovered. Back then all I cared about was the anger I felt inside.”

“You said they used fire.”

“They did. But why utilise only one weakness when you can make use of two?” Eren muttered, his expression darkening for a moment at the thought. “The bastards had originally planned to get me into the liquid silver. I got away but managed to land in the fire heating the stuff.”

Even the raven couldn't stop himself from wincing at the image. “Ouch.”

“You can say that again.” The boy shuddered at the memory. “It's okay, though. Now I know better, I’m careful, I prepare…”

Levi let out a heavy exhale, a mildly relieved sound. “Well thank fuck for that.”

The tension that had been building in the air around the pair dissipated a little with the sound and Levi could feel the brunette relaxing beneath him.

“Indeed.” The boy agreed through an amused sounding exhale. “And thank fuck that you don’t wear proper silver piercings.”

Levi mock-scowled at the brunette as he reached up to toy with the metal in the raven's ear.

“Hey,” the smaller male said in a tone of mock offence, “I wasn’t exactly rich when I bought these.”

Eren laughed, a soft breathy sound, and his eyes warmed. “Okay, okay, don’t be angry.” The boy cupped the raven's face and smiled. “It’s a good thing that they’re not silver, or I wouldn’t be able to come very close to you.”

A cheeky flare passed behind grey eyes and the raven's thin brow arched up in challenge. “Oh? I’ll remember that next time you do something to piss me off.”

“Aw,” Eren pouted, looking mopey for a moment, “that’s mean.”

The raven chuckled softly and lent down to kiss the boy. Tanned arms slipped around the raven's waist, gripping at Levi's hips. Pausing, mouths still joined, Levi opened his eyes to arch a thin brow at the brunette. The smaller man broke the kiss to pull back and level the brat with a mildly stern look.

“No.” He chided. “Once is more than enough.”

“But-” Eren began to protest, cut off by a lean finger pressed to his lips to shut him up.

“The answer is no.” The raven-haired man reiterated, making a face. “My ass still hurts from the first time.”

Eren huffed, puffing his cheeks out and blowing air towards his eyes. The wind from it blew his hair up. “Well I'm sorry, it's not like either of us make a point of carrying proper lubrication with us. I made do.”

“Tell that to my ass.”

“Fine, turn over and I will.”

“Nice try, you little shit.”

Teal eyes flashed defiantly but softened after a moment of staring. Back to banter and simple bickering at last, it felt as though things were finally beginning to mend between them.

Levi glanced away, thinking. “So…if Erwin really is out looking to take down some demon,” the raven paused, glancing back to gain Eren's attention, “…does he know it’s you?”

That was the real question; the doubt that had been playing on Levi's mind ever since they had left the smith home. Erwin had been sure that the raven was the one who was the danger, but after the possessive display from Eren...would the blonde make the connection?

Eren frowned, staring up at the ceiling. “I’m not sure.” He said after a moment, brows pulling together further. “I mean, after seeing that damned file...I think it's safe to say that he was going after you.” The brat paused to snort at the idea. “That's just funny.”

Levi's eyes narrowed a little, but it was a playful response that had him replying. “Hey, fuck you, I think I'd make a perfectly fine demon.”

An odd little smile curved Eren's lips and he looked at the floor.

“Oh you would.” The boy murmured, nodding to himself as he spoke. “Trust me.”

The raven was a little preoccupied with his thoughts to notice the strange tone in Eren's voice, ploughing right along.

“So what do we do now?” Levi asked, sitting back and scratching at his chin. “If Erwin is suspicious of either of us, we're kind of fucked.”

The brunette nodded in agreement, pushing up onto his elbows. “He’s certainly fishy…” the boy agreed, “I’ll need to look into it. But I'm afraid you're going to have to leave this place.”

Levi's attention snapped back to the brunette and he frowned slightly. “What?”

Eren sighed. “A possible exorcist knows where you live. It's not safe,” he explained with a worried look in his eyes, “they trail all kinds of danger with them. I could smell the blood on that bastard the second he came through the door.”

The raven swallowed at the memory. So those spots really had been blood? But whose?

“He killed someone?” Levi voiced the question hanging in his mind.

“Something.”

Eren's eyes were dark again, but he kept his anger suppressed well enough. Levi resisted the urge to give the kid some space, heaving a heavy sigh and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“Right.” The raven muttered and Eren looked up at the man's tone of voice. “We'd better have that fucking talk now.”

Levi slid off of Eren to settle properly on the sofa and the boy sat up with him, taking a spot beside the raven-haired man.

“Right now?” The brunette queried, eyebrows risen.

“Why not?” Levi rolled his shoulders in a shrug, turning his focus on the boy. “Tell me how I can make this better for you.” The raven said, grey eyes strangely earnest in their request. “We need to compromise here. And while you're at it, why don't you tell me about vulnerabilities?”

The brunette blinked. “Huh?”

Levi gave a long sigh, sorting out his words. “Look, Eren,” he began, keeping his eyes on the floor, “…you’ve wedged yourself pretty deeply into my life now.” The raven admitted, swallowing. “And I might have been resistant to start but, fuck, you're a stubborn little shit. I can't imagine what my life would be like if you hadn't come barrelling in but I don't want to imagine what it would be like if you left. So I might as well know how I can help you.”

Eren sat very still, eyes wide and mouth slightly open from surprise. After a moment, he managed to speak.

“You want to help?” The boy asked, looking just as shocked as he sounded.

“Of course I fucking do.” Levi replied, grey eyes softening as he reached over to place a hand over the boy's knee. “The thing about the silver, that’s information I can use. Now I know not to buy anything that has silver in it. That right there is a compromise, like if you had a peanut allergy or something. Do you follow me?”

Eren had to look away, teal eyes dropping to the floor. “…that’s…that means a lot.” The boy placed a hand atop where Levi's rested on his knee and threaded their fingers together.

“You mean a lot, Eren.” The raven responded, squeezing the boy's hand gently. “So talk to me.”

The brunette let out a shaky breath, rifling through anything that they should discuss in proper detail.

“Alright...” he started, drawing in another breath, “alright, weaknesses.” Eren paused, brows furrowing a little as he concentrated. “Well...the less I feed, the weaker I get,” he said after a moment, “and the harder it is to keep up any disguise.”

Beside the boy, Levi made a soft sound of disapproval. “Great.”

“I know it’s not ideal,” Eren said, making a face, “but my kind aren’t meant to live here. For me to stay, others have to leave.”

“Well isn't that just peachy.” The raven grimaced, thinking of all the people that would have to die for Eren to stay with him.

Sometimes it was easy to forget that Eren only existed in this world because others had been sent away. The information weighed heavily on the smaller male's shoulders now.

“It's okay, we can compromise on that too,” Eren announced, his voice cutting through the raven's depressing thoughts, “we spoke about it before. I'll make sure to only kill criminals and only after dark.”

Levi gave a slow nod in response, swallowing thickly. “Okay...” he said, pushing away the negative thoughts as best he could, “okay, that's good. We don't need anyone accidentally recognising you and then coming to burn our place down.”

The grim humour made the brunette smile but Eren chose not to point out the way in which Levi had called the apartment _their_ place.

“For God's sake don't kill any kids.” Levi said, knowing that he had made the point before but having to be certain that the boy understood that. “That's sick. I'll kill you myself if I find out you've been slaughtering innocent people.”

“I haven't. I promise.”

Grey eyes flicked over to bore into teal orbs. The boy's face was serious and Levi could read only truth in his eyes. It was enough to draw a relieved sigh from thin lips and the raven's shoulders relaxed a degree.

“Right.” Levi nodded, mostly to himself as he thought over the arrangement. “Well other than that, make sure you fucking clean your shit up afterwards, alright? No evidence.”

A smug little smirk tugged at the corner of Eren's mouth. “I think I've already got that down.”

Levi had to admit that whatever Eren had been doing with the bodies, it was working. The news had been picking up stories of people going missing, with kidnappings suspected, but so far the authorities hadn't discovered a single piece of evidence to link the cases to murder.

“How do you take care of the evidence?” Levi found himself asking, not really sure if he wanted to know the answer but curious enough to pose the question.

The brunette's smug little smile grew a bit bigger. “I use the Way Through.” He stated.

“You send the remains to Hell?” Levi rephrased the question, raising his eyebrows at the brunette's nod. “That's fucking brilliant.” The raven said, sending the boy an impressed look. “I'd call you a genius if I didn't think you had enough of an ego. No need to stroke it any further with praise like that.”

Something playful flashed in teal eyes and Levi knew what was coming even before the brat opened his mouth to say, “I can think of something else that you could stroke instead?”

A dry laugh escaped the smaller man's lips.

“Har har, and the pun award goes to you.” The raven muttered, smirking wryly. “Not tonight, at any rate. Not in the middle of an important discussion. We're talking about you sending entrails and people bits to Hell, for fuck's sake.” Levi shuddered, shaking his head to shoo away the imagery. “Which reminds me, make sure you brush your fucking teeth after you feed. And I mean _really_ scrub them, use mouthwash, gum, the works, before you come near me.”

“Okay, I get it.” Eren grumbled, crossing his arms. “You have a thing about germs.”

“I do but, fuck, no one wants to taste another person when they kiss someone!”

“Fair enough.”

 

As the night drew on, with late hours beginning to draw closer to early hours, more queries were passed back and forth. Eren took his time, answering each question he was asked with as much detail as he could provide.

A lot of what Levi heard from the boy was giving him a headache, especially the part about Heaven and Hell.

“There is no God.” Eren had explained. “No heaven, no precious glowing palace in the sky.”

That in itself had been a pretty confusing piece of information. Even if Levi hadn't ever been a strict believer or follower of faith, there were plenty of other questions raised by those words. No Heaven. Okay, fine. Sure.

“But there’s a Hell?” Levi asked, feeling himself frowning as confusion wrapped around his mind.

Eren shrugged. “Of course.”

The kid said that like it made perfect sense and for a moment the raven flailed mentally.

“How does that make any sense?” He asked after a moment of staring incredulously at the floor. “There’s a place for bad people to go but not for the good people?” The raven threw his hands towards the ceiling in a frustrated gesture. “What the fuck?”

Eren chuckled at the raven's flabbergasted mood. It had been Levi's questioning that had led them to this topic and he refused to sleep until they were answered. The brunette tried his very best to respond to the questions in a way that would make sense.

“There isn’t exactly a _place_ for good people,” Eren said slowly, trying to get the raven to understand, “but you don’t just…die and fade away into darkness.”

Levi was pinching the bridge of his nose, clearly not any less confused. “Are you trying to tell me that there are agents of chaos but not of peace?” The smaller man asked after a moment.

Eren gave a single nod. “Yes.”

The raven exhaled, also nodding, but Eren felt as though it was more of an act the raven was using to try and convince himself to believe the words.

“So all that twaddle about God is just bullshit?” Levi said, meaning to have the sentence come out as a statement but his voice rose pitch in the end, making it a question. “And there are no angels or fucking trumpets in the sky?”

The demon laughed at that, an open and cheery sound that smoothed out the frown on the raven's brow for a moment.

“Trumpets in the sky? Really?” Eren giggled at the smaller man. “Do you have any idea how faith works?”

“Fuck you. I'm just trying to understand.”

“I know, I know, I'm sorry.” The brunette apologised, still trying to wipe the smile off his face. “Well I'll try to explain.” The boy took a deep breath. “There’s no so much a God as there is a divine presence. It’s not one single, identifiable figure with all knowing power, nor is it an army of angels.”

Levi could feel his frown returning. “Well? What the fuck is it?”

“It’s an energy.” Eren replied. “A whole universe worth of it and it runs through everything, interwoven into the very fabric of existence.” The brunette took a pause, making sure that the raven was absorbing everything, before he continued. “Evil finds a way to come through no matter what you do. The good presence only keeps a balance. Apparently it's decided that if there are going to be demons, then we’ll have a very rough time of it. Hence the restrictions.”

Levi nodded, remembering the many times that he and Eren had discussed the restrictions placed upon demon kind to keep them from being able to have a stable existence in the living world. That much he understood, and the rest he supposed made sense.

“Okay,” he nodded, clasping his hands together and resting them atop his knees, “so what's all this about heaven and hell? What's up with that?”

“Hell is real, as you know.” Eren said with a nod. “It’s where the bad souls go, like a kind of jail. But there isn’t a heaven.”

“Why not?”

“Well can you imagine it?” The brunette asked, and there was an odd challenging tone in his voice. “Heaven is supposedly this place where souls go after they die and spend an eternity there.” Here Eren paused, leaning forward a little. “How is that any different from Hell?” The boy asked, and Levi saw his point. “How is that any different from a prison? Eternity is a long time, Levi, it gets boring. No use punishing the good souls with a prison.”

That one statement made more sense to Levi than anything he had heard that night. Who in their right mind would want to spend the rest of eternity trapped in the same place after living out their short lives on Earth? But that posed the question...

“So...what happens to the good souls?” Levi asked, turning his eyes on the boy.

Eren drew in a breath, launching on into his explanation. “If you’re a good person, when you die and pass on, you go to become a part of the energy that keeps the balance.” He said, sending the raven a reassuring smile. “Eventually some of that energy needs to be given to form new life. It’s kind of like your human concept of reincarnation.”

The raven nodded slowly, sorting through the information in his head. “Okay…”

“Let me try and explain it better,” Eren paused for a moment with a look of concentration on his face, before he began to speak again, “…eventually new energy is needed to make new life. When that time comes, some of the energy goes back into new creatures as they are born.” The brunette paused again, just for a moment, to look at the raven and make sure that he was paying attention and not lost. “But it is very unlikely that all of the same cells and particles would find their way back together in the same way they were for the person beforehand,” the boy said, sounding a little sad then, “which is why people and creatures cannot remember their past life experiences, because it is no longer all of them together. They are mixed up with all different kinds of particles.” Eren shot the raven a sidelong glance. “If you've ever wondered why you humans are always different, that's why. But some people contain more of their original cells than others, which is why some people can experience past memories through dreams and visions while others cannot.”

A moment of silence fell over the two as Levi let the overload of information sink in.

“That’s one heck of a mind fuck, Eren.” The raven muttered at last, rubbing his temples.

The boy gave a soft, sympathetic laugh. “I know, it’s a lot to wrap your head around.”

“So then saying ‘I swear to God’ doesn’t really hold any weight, then?”

A snort came from the demon. “Is that really all you’re taking away from this?”

“Hey, I say it a lot.”

“No, you say ‘I swear to fuck’.”

“Point taken.”

 

Other questions were asked and answered, more of the personal variety as Levi struggled to understand the way the demon world worked.

“I take it your kind don't date?”

The raven had meant for the question to be taken lightly, as more of a joke or a teasing comment than anything requiring a serious answer. In point of fact, he was sure that he would rather not know that answer. But Eren replied anyway.

“For demons, if we ever form a relationship it's very simple.” The boy began and Levi let him continue. “We form bonds via intimacy and physical contact. We're creatures that thrive on sensation, even though we can elect not to feel anything at all. It's difficult, though, for those of us who want to feel. I know of one creature who has never chosen to give up his senses.”

The brunette's eyes softened for a moment and Levi might have called him out on it had the boy not ploughed on.

“Mostly with a 'relationship' between two demons, it's a case of fuck, eat, sleep, fight, fuck again.” The brunette made a face. “We're not very romantic that way.”

“You're telling me.”

The boy gave a scathing laugh. “Yeah. And there are a lot of demons who don't bother with finding a partner at all because of sensory deprivation. The more cowardly of us who don't want to feel pain. Avoid pain, avoid touch.” A dark flickering passed behind Eren's eyes. “That's where the true monsters come from; the crawling, slithering beasts that haunt your people's nightmares.”

Levi had to call the boy's name twice before he snapped out of the dark reverie, shaking his head a few times to clear it.

“Sorry, what was I saying?”

“Demons are physical creatures.” The raven reminded him.

“Ah, yes.” Eren nodded, recalling their conversational topic. “At least in that respect, my bond with my fiancee has not been sealed yet.” The boy announced, sounding somewhat relieved, before his gaze dulled again. “That's not to say that he hasn't tried.”

“Sealed?” Levi repeated, frowning. “You mean like consummated?”

The boy nodded, wincing a little at the raven's dark scowl. “That's the most common stage. But there's another stage that only a very few demons even make it to.”

Scowl lessening, the raven arched an eyebrow. “What's that?”

“It's a blood offering,” the brunette murmured, swallowing, “where each partner tastes the other. But it's only really done for...” Eren trailed off suddenly, glancing away.

Levi's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but there was concern in his voice when he spoke.

“For?” The raven prompted, tone bordering on urgent when the brunette winced again. “For what?”

“I don't want to upset you.” Eren's voice sounded small as blue-green eyes lifted up to meet worried grey.

Levi had a bad feeling again. He didn't want to know, he didn't want to know...

But he needed to know.

“Just tell me.” The raven found himself saying, although his voice sounded strange and distant to his ears.

With an uneasy expression colouring Eren's face, the boy inhaled and swallowed.

“The blood exchange.” The brunette forced himself not to mumble. “It's a ritual that's only ever performed between mates.”

“Mates?” Levi knew he hadn't wanted to know. He clung to a last shred of hope. “As in friends?”

“No.” Eren exhaled slowly, destroying that hope. “My fiancee is my mate, completely compatible with me. That's another reason why I can't really do anything to stop him.” The boy ran his hands over his face, ducking his head hopelessly. “I can't kill my mate, Levi. It goes against every instinct I have.”

“What about survival?” Levi pushed.

“That's beside the point. He won't kill me if I don't cross him.”

“So he likes you enough not to kill you?” Levi felt sick just saying the words, surprised by the startled laughter that escaped his own mouth. “Well isn't that lovely. What a charming couple you must make.”

Eren's head snapped up and teal eyes flashed, burning as the kid bared his teeth in challenge at the raven's accusing tone.

“It's not as if I had a choice in any of this.” The brunette snapped, leaning forward low in a predatory fashion as he glared. “Hell isn't like your world. It's barbaric. Why should the people living there be any different?”

The kitchen light flickered, buzzing for a moment before it blew, fizzing out with a pop. Levi grimaced as glass tinkled down onto the floor.

Hissing out a frustrated sigh, Eren flung a hand back in the direction of the kitchen and the raven watched with raised eyebrows as the glass flew back up to melt into place, forming a new bulb. A few moments later the light flickered back on.

Eren dropped his hand and ran it over his face. “Sorry.” The boy mumbled.

Levi knew that he should probably apologise for pushing the kid that far, but his curiosity wasn't quite sated.

“So how do you feel about _him_?” The raven placed emphasis on the word just as the boy had done several times before. It was the one way that the raven knew to identify the boy's betrothed as the issue of his distress.

He expected the boy to be angry again, but Eren only groaned.

“Ugh...I don't know.” The brunette said in a complaining tone. “I don't _want_ to want him,” he said, dropping his hands from his face at last and looking at the floor, “but it's like dangling meat in front of a dog. The impulse is there, it's how my kind work. Some stupid chemical thing that I can't control.” Eren hissed in frustration. His voice was softer, quiet and hopeless when the boy spoke again. “He's like...a drug...and I know that if I'm not careful I'll get addicted but I can't get away.”

Levi watched the boy mope, looking thoroughly miserable with their situation. After a few moments it became clear that neither of them wanted to talk anymore. It was late, far too late for rationale thought, and Levi didn't want to fight. They barely recovered last time.

So, with a sigh, the raven stood up from the couch and came to stand in front of the boy. Eren allowed himself to be hauled up and into the arms of his human, and the pair staggered wearily to the bedroom. Having already showered after their escapade at Erwin's, nought was left to do but strip down and collapse onto the bed. Levi tucked Eren beneath the sheets before crawling in himself and drawing the boy into his arms.

“I have to leave soon.” Eren mumbled miserably, peering up at the raven through sleepy eyes.

Levi hushed him gently, trailing sleepy kisses across his face. “Just sleep, Eren...” he soothed, “just for now, let's pretend that everything is okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren's month in Hell-time is almost up. Soon we'll see just who he is returning to.


	32. If I Lay Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took WAAAAYYY TOO LONG! But it's 10,000+ words. This is officially the longest chapter that I have written. Ever. And I won't lie, it's pretty much 85% smut. But it's PLOT ESSENTIAL smut, okay? With feels and insight and the works! I regret nothing!  
> Enjoy!

“And that makes me want to rewind to back in the days when we were young.” – Puddle of Mud, Psycho.

***

 

Eren was in a bad mood.

“I don't want to go back.”

“You don't have to.”

“I do.”

According to the brunette, he had two days left until his fiancée would be returning to look for him. Just two days of freedom until he had to dive back into that pit of horror.

And it had done a real number on the boy's temper.

The slightest sound had Eren on edge; the kettle boiling, the hiss of shower water, the clinking of Levi's spoon against his cereal bowl, everything had the kid's attention.

“Calm down, kid.”

“I _am_ calm.” Eren hissed, causing the lights to flicker a little in the kitchen.

Levi gave a snort. “Yeah, that's exactly what calm looks like.”

It was a bristling Eren that stomped out of the apartment like a child throwing a tantrum.

 

It didn't last long. No more than an hour later and the front door opened again to reveal a repentant looking brunette. Levi glanced up from where he was lying on the sofa, his book dropping low enough for him to see over the pages.

“Hey, brat.” The raven called from the couch, setting his book down on his lap.

Eren ducked his head a little, rubbing at the back of his neck. “M'sorry.” He mumbled, head bowed slightly but eyes seeking out Levi's grey gaze.

At least Levi didn't look angry.

“It's alright,” Levi offered, knowing that it wasn't solely Eren's fault that they had argued, “you're stressed. We're both a little stressed out with this impending deadline of doom bullshit.” The raven shrugged with one shoulder. “One little snapping-fest is no big deal.”

The brunette gave a little sigh, relieved that he wasn't in trouble, relieved that Levi understood what he was going through and why he was so moody. There were, of course, plenty of things that weren't setting Eren on edge as well. Plenty of things indeed.

Eren was more than a little pleased to see Levi lounging in the dark sweatpants he had originally bought for the boy to wear. They were too big for the raven but fuck if that stopped him from curling up on the couch in the boy's comfy pants.

The white long-sleeved shirt that Levi was wearing also happened to belong to Eren.

When Eren finally stirred from his reverie and saw the sight, he laughed.

Grey eyes flickered over from the couch, narrowing at the giggling brunette. “Shut up.”

“You're adorable.” Eren chuckled, smiling merrily away.

“Take that back.”

“Never.”

Despite his harsh tone, Levi was almost smiling. Truth be told, he was just glad that Eren had come back. And then the smile began to fade and Eren was left staring into concerned grey eyes, eyes that worried about him, eyes that cared.

“Are you okay?” The raven asked, his tone earnest.

It was enough to compel the brunette to give an honest answer, rather than to play off the way he was feeling.

“I don't think so.” Eren murmured, his voice shaking against his will. He gave a little shrug. “But I'm a big boy, I can deal with it.”

Levi didn't look very convinced and Eren absolutely hated the soft sadness that he could detect behind those grey eyes. Eyes that knew too much...and all because Eren had to go and get attached. In hindsight, it was probably a bad idea to keep someone like Levi. He was too knowing, calculating in all the worst ways that allowed him to find what was wrong. Eren could break too easily under the attention of those sharp eyes.

But fuck if Eren was giving him up now.

Little did the boy know that any and all sorrow that the raven was currently feeling was for the boy, not for any sadness that Levi should be feeling knowing that his Eren could very well be lost in a few days.

The thought that this poor boy should have to answer to anyone...it made the raven see red. But a fat lot of good that did him. After all, what could he, a simple human, do to stop someone as supposedly powerful as Eren's betrothed?

The answer?

Nothing. Nothing at all. But he could still spoil his brat in the meantime.

Sitting up at last, the raven set aside his book and stretched. “Come on, brat.” He called gently, an idea already forming in his mind as to how he could cheer up the brunette. “It's about time I actually used that bath.”

Eren followed after the raven as he headed for the bathroom, moving towards the porcelain tub that resided in the far corner. The brunette had wondered what it was for; it kind of just sat there in disuse.

Eren watched as the raven bent to fiddle with the taps jutting out from the wall and soon a steady stream of water fell into the bowl-like structure. Steam began to fill the air and the boy watched as Levi went back and forth gathering little bottles and adding drops of God knows what to the rising water. Something smelled of lavender; Eren caught a whiff of it as Levi passed him again to put away the bottles.

“What are you doing?” The boy enquired, brows rising curiously.

“Adding minerals.” Levi muttered by means of an explanation. “It's good for the skin.”

Nose wrinkling at the smell, the boy made a face. “It smells funny.”

The raven rolled his eyes, moving to check on the temperature of the water while Eren stripped down, setting his clothes on the counter. Steam swirled in the air and Eren wondered just how hot Levi wanted the water to be. He was more than a little concerned stepping into the bath moments later when the raven finally shut off the taps.

Stepping in a toe at a time, Eren lowered himself into the tub, gasping at the heat and releasing a few heavy breaths through the steam until he was fully seated in the water.

Levi chuckled, reaching out to ruffle the boy's hair slowly. “You're ridiculous, it's not _that_ hot.”

“Says you.” Eren managed to gasp, but he leaned into the touch, blinking as he adjusted to the water's temperature. The brunette's brows dipped in a slight frown, confusion at Levi's fully dressed state. “Aren't you coming in?” He asked, voicing his thoughts.

The raven looked like he was honestly thinking about it.

“I'm not really in the mood.” Levi answered at last, one shoulder rising a little as if he had meant to shrug and then changed his mind last minute. “I was just going to pamper you a little.”

Eren's eyebrow rose slowly, arching up almost comically high. “You...of all people, don't want to wash up? You don't want to get all nice and clean?”

Levi rolled his eyes at the boy's tone, surprise slowly dissolving into teasing.

“Think of the soap, Levi.” Eren pushed, grinning. “Sooooaap....”

“Cut it out, brat.” Levi smirked, flicking the kid between the eyes.

The raven moved to stand but halted when a tanned arm shot out, hand catching him by the fabric of the loose sweatpants he had on, fingers winding in the material. The boy wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to say, only that after all the arguing, after everything that they had spoken about, after Erwin and everything that they had spoken about some nights prior...all Eren wanted was to keep Levi close.

It had been a trying time for the two males as of late, the confession, the talk, the fight. They had only made up recently and then Erwin had sauntered in with his truckload of bullshit to add to the steadily growing pile of things about the human world that was pissing Eren off. After all of it, the whole great mess, the brunette could use a little comforting.

“Don't go.” Eren implored in a quiet voice, eyes lowering to the rippling surface of the water. “Please...”

Levi glanced down at the hand holding onto him, arching a brow. “I'm not going anywhere.”

“But you're not coming in?”

The raven made a face. He had never really been one for baths, much preferring the easier and more accessible shower. But Eren was pouting and his eyes were so big, deep blue green pools imploring silently as the boy leaned over to lure the raven down for a kiss.

Relenting to the gentle tug of the hand still fisted in his slacks, Levi decided that he could at least afford to show the kid some affection. He may not want to get in the bath but he didn't have to do that to kiss Eren. It was a simple compromise.

Bending down a little, the raven was shocked when Eren pushed up out of the water a little to meet him halfway, lips sliding over Levi's so softly that it was almost coy. That alone should have tipped the raven off, yet he still took the bait and leaned closer when Eren parted his lips in invitation.

A hand clasped around the raven's forearm, the arm that just so happened to be supporting his weight against the edge of the tub, and the brat's other hand grabbed at the back of Levi's thigh.

With a wicked giggle sounding against Levi's lips, Eren yanked the raven and upset his balance, with the intention of pulling him into the tub. It played out far less smoothly than the boy had originally intended.

The raven's hands scrambled against the edge of the tub as he was unbalanced, nearly letting out a shout in his fright, but the noise morphed into a pained hiss when his hip bumped against the hard porcelain tub from the odd angle at which he had been pulled in. A string of curses fell from the raven's lips when he resurfaced after submerging for a brief moment, looking thoroughly startled as he flailed in panic for a moment.

Eren couldn't even manage to properly apologise through his fits of laughter, nearly crying from the force of it as he picked up on a few choice words from the surly man before him. Forcing himself to calm down, the boy made an apologetic sound as he reached over to caress the now tender skin of Levi's hip, already showing signs of bruising. Eren hadn't meant to hurt his human, far from it, his actions had been out of only intentions to cause a little mischief, but the look of utter surprise on the raven's features had been absolutely priceless.

“You're eyes!” The boy exclaimed, nearly wheezing. “I've never seen them so big before. Like an owl!” Eren giggled, drawing in a deep breath. “Ah, that was too good. Your face was priceless!”

Eren continued to snicker and laugh, trying to hide it behind the back of his hand and failing miserably. The raven grumbled under his breath.

“I'm sorry.” Eren offered, a little smile curving his lips in a way that was almost repentant. “How's your hip?”

Mustering the very best glower that he could, Levi raised his head to glare at the brat but was thoroughly surprised when the kid's cheeks puffed out before the brat fell right back into another laughing fit.

“What the fuck is so funny?” The raven asked, his tone sharp and clipped, but not all that mad.

He was startled, bedraggled and upset with the mess of water on the floor now, but not mad.

Eren really did have to wheeze through the laughter before he could speak again.

“You look just like a cat stuck in the rain!” Teal eyes shone with merriment as Eren laughed, reaching out to scratch under Levi's chin like he was a cat. “Poor puss, did someone lock you out?”

“Tch.” Levi jerked his chin free of Eren's cheeky hold.

With a grunt, the raven pushed himself up and out of the water a little, gripping the edge of the tub until he adjusted his weight on his knees. Once balanced, Levi shoved a hand up through his hair, pushing the soaking mop back and out of his face.

Leaning one arm against the tub, grey eyes dropped to regard the brunette and the raven's free hand dropped, dipping under the hot water to give the brunette's hip a firm squeeze.

“Little shit.”

Eren scoffed, amused by the way in which the raven used insults as forms of endearment sometimes. The boy hummed, scooting backwards until he could lean his back against the end of the tub, watching the water move as Levi waded after him.

“Was it really necessary to try and drown me?” He groused half-heartedly, a smirk threatening to curve his lips.

“I would never.” Eren replied solemnly.

“Sure.” Levi rolled his eyes almost playfully. “Better watch yourself, little brat, or I might be tempted to drown you.”

“I don't think you would.”

“I said I was temped.”

The brunette gave an amused hum, only half paying attention. It was difficult to keep his mind focused on their banter when his eyes were preoccupied with the wonder of a man before him. Only moments ago the boy had been in fits of laughter, teasing Levi for looking like a feline who had accidentally gotten trapped in a shower, but now...it was as if some kind of black magic had sneaked its way into their apartment and transformed the hilarious imagery into something far less amusing.

Eren supposed it had something to do with the way the raven's clothes clung to his skin, bunched up in some areas and revealing pale flesh here and there. The brunette could make out each bump along Levi's spine when he bent over. The material, rendered mostly transparent by the water, easily exposed the hard muscle beneath. The boy felt a near-overwhelming urge to rid the raven of his shirt altogether, a sudden desire to have Levi on his back and at his mercy surging through the brunette.

Some part of the boy's mind registered that Levi was speaking...and very probably to him...but he was a little distracted with how low the black material of the raven's pants had slipped on his hips, already lose enough without the help of the water. Now the dark cotton dragged even lower, threatening to fall altogether, barely hangling on where the material clung to the raven's thighs.

“Brat? Oi, earth to brat?”

“Huh?”

Teal eyes shot back up suddenly as the brunette was drawn from his thoughts, the confused orbs roving up to settle on amused grey.

“Did you even hear a word that I just said?”

“Uh...”

The raven sighed at the boy's drawn out response, but he smirked anyway. “I thought not.”

Eren nearly jumped at the feeling of a cool hand brushing his leg, the flesh still not warmed through by the water caused a shiver to run through Eren as the hand smoothed out to glide up the boy's thigh. Grey eyes dropped from Eren's gaze for a moment and the smirk on Levi's lips grew a little in the same instant that the brunette felt the cool hand pause and splay out at the juncture where his leg met the rest of his torso.

The raven's index finger curled around the base of the boy's erect cock, pulling it back gently just far enough for it to snap back against the boy's stomach when he let go.

“Hello, hello...Eren junior is trying to get out of the water.”

Now that it had been pointed out, Eren did notice the cooler draft of air against the head of his length, so much cooler in contrast to the heat below the surface of the water. The brunette gave a low, pleased hum as Levi's fingers danced their way up the middle of his abdomen, pressing a little and with just a slight scrape of blunt nails.

Those deft fingers worked their way up Eren's chest, tweaking at his nipples on the way past before gliding up the column of his neck, carressing the boy's jaw before finally settling on tracing Eren's bottom lip which Levi tugged down gently to expose the gum of his lower row of teeth.

“Hmm...” Levi hummed thoughtfully, “I guess you're learning about the other kinds of hunger now, aren't you?”

Eren had a very strong feeling that Levi was not talking about being hungry in the sense that he wanted to eat food. The thought made a flush of blood spread its way over the brunette's cheeks and he swallowed as Levi finally let go of his lip.

And then the raven ducked his head and the boy was met with the soft press of Levi's mouth against his own. It was gentle, like a promise, and the boy's face heated even further at the intimacy of the action.

The past few days had been trying on both of them, still recovering and trying to fall back into their old routines after all of the change that had befallen them. With the new fears and the ever impending date of Eren's departure looming nearer every passing day, it had been difficult on both males.

Now, though, there was but one desire between them. It would be enough just to be close, just to lie together wrapped in warmth for the next two days.

“Levi...”

The word was barely more than a whisper against Levi's lips and the raven found himself lost in the bright teal eyes gazing up at him.

The raven watched Eren, watched the rosy shades that coloured his face, even his chest as the warm water heated him up. Hands rubbing at Eren's hips, the raven allowed himself to revel in the soft appeal of the boy's skin. So warm, smooth under his fingers, and Levi wanted nothing more than to keep this moment in time and have the rest of eternity to spend spoiling this creature. He didn't want to have to give him up, to hand him over to some other fiendish beast a whole other world away. Levi didn't want to wait for the poor brat to return, no doubt battered and broken, for the raven to mend. He wanted to know that, no matter what happened, that the boy had come to him, had _chosen_ him over this other monster.

Eren may already have a mate...but Levi wasn't about to surrender the boy so easily.

If his betrothed, this beast of a being, was foolish enough to let the boy slip through his fingers even once, then surely that gave Levi the right to lay claim to Eren as well? Surely it would be okay for him to have that? To claim the boy for himself, to show Eren the kinder side of partnership?

Suddenly it was all that the raven wanted, to have this boy, this demon, whatever he wanted to label himself as. Levi wanted him, plain and simple. Wanted to have him, to hold him close, to love him and make love to him until the brunette could only remember Levi's name.

It would be fine, wouldn't it? To have that? Just once? It would be okay, wouldn't it? If Eren consented to such a thing, if he gave his permission and said that he wanted Levi to own him in that way, then surely it would be alright.

But he was being a little hasty...calm, calm down. Perhaps, just for now, it would okay to touch and taste. Just a taste, just to feel with his tongue, to map out the boy with his mouth and teeth and tongue and fingers. Only that, surely it would be alright.

“Eren...” Levi murmured, his voice lower than he had expected after not speaking for so long.

His hands still rested on he boy's hips, rubbing little circles with the pads of his thumbs.

The boy gave Levi his full attention, teal eyes wide and attentive. “Levi?”

“I want you.”

It was an abrupt confession, but the brunette seemed to take it in stride, flushing a little at the admission.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” The brunette answered without so much as a pause for breath.

The look of determination in those blue-green eyes was enough to make the raven's heart flutter. This boy...he had gone through enough suffering for a thousand lifetimes. All Levi wanted was to give him something that the boy could savour. Something to prove that life was good.

“Turn over.” The raven murmured, the command low but gentle as he helped the brunette to lift his hips, flipping him into position. “Hold onto the edge, okay?”

Eren obeyed, his fingers trembling only a little from anticipation. There was no fear in the boy's movements and that set Levi's heart at ease. Even set in such a vulnerable position with so little information to guess what the raven might do, Eren trusted him.

Left hand still resting on Eren's hip, Levi twisted around to snatch up the bar of soap that sat on the opposite side of the tub, juggling it in his right hand as he dipped it into the bath water.

“Is this alright, Eren?” The raven asked, ever mindful of the boy's inexperience.

If Eren wanted to stop at any time, he would stop. Simple as that.

The boy's mind was still wandering over the possibilities of where this could lead as he answered.

“Yes?”

Still unsure as to what exactly was happening, or about to happen, the brunette supposed that as long as it was Levi, it would be okay. The air felt cool where it reached his heated skin, coaxing a shiver out of the boy.

The raven's intentions became somewhat clearer when the brunette felt Levi's hand come to rest over his right ass cheek, ghosting a slippery digit over the puckered skin of Eren's asshole. The boy supposed that the raven must have coated the digit with the soap, but it still felt strange. Eren was still struggling to cope with the overwhelming feelings in his body, anything to do with sex sent him reeling.

Levi traced a featherlight circle around the boy's entrance, waiting. “Are you sure this is okay? I'll understand if you want to stop at any point-”

“No...” the boy cut him off, “I want to know. I want this.”

The boy was definitely curious, having witnessed what his own fingers had made Levi feel when they had joined before. He wanted to know what that felt like. Clearly there was potential for it to be good, Levi's panting and shameless reactions had poved that, but still...there was that lingering doubt in the boy's mind. Doubt that he wanted to wipe away.

Eren was sure that he would be willing to give this man absolutely anything he desired. There was no reasoning or logic behind the thought, no question of morals or right and wrong. If Levi wanted something, Eren would do everything in his power to give it to him. He hoped that the raven would cherish him in the same way.

The thought of what was going to occur made the boy's face flush a little and a needy, yearning throb ached between his legs.

“Please, Levi, I'll let you do whatever you want.”

The words were enough to stir a budding warmth beneath the cold wet cotton that still clung to the raven, Eren's position and his voice enough to arouse the smaller male. A little shiver ran down Levi's spine as he considered all the best ways to make Eren feel good, at last bending forward to press a light kiss to the juncture just under Eren's ass where it met his thigh.

A surprised gasp sounded and the brunette jerked forward, trembling a little before settling back, and the reaction encouraged the raven to pay a little more attention to the area. He flicked his tongue out, just barely grazing the sensitive flesh, before dragging the tip of his tongue along the spot. He peppered the area with kisses, mouthing at the skin and teasing along the boy's thigh and cheek every so often until the boy whined.

It provided the perfect distraction for the raven to begin swirling his index finger around the boy's entrance, drawing a circle around the tight ring of muscle and closing in towards the centre with smaller and smaller circles. But just before reaching the middle, he would work his way back out again, enjoying how impatient his actions were making Eren. Every time the raven's finger came close to the boy's entrance, Eren would shift his hips slightly in an attempt to try and accept him inside, but Levi never relented.

Gleeful grey eyes danced and the raven smirked a little as he watched the way Eren's hands would tense around the rim of the tub, slipping sometimes in desperation as the boy pushed back curiously, needily, into Levi's teasing hand, his mouth and his tongue.

“Someone's eager.” Levi teased, his voice near sinful with the way it lilted.

A strained whine trapped itself in Eren's throat as the boy nodded his head rapidly in agreement. Levi's teasing was driving him crazy as it was, but still he wanted to feel more, more, anything and everything that the raven would give him.

The skin that had already received so much attention felt more exposed than ever, so sensitive that each new touch drew short, gasping breaths and impatient groans from the boy. Eren wanted more. He wanted to feel what Levi had felt when it had been Eren taking him, he wanted Levi to show him what that was like, thoroughly and intimately and through every single fibre of his being. He wanted to possess everything that his raven-haired lover had to offer.

“To be honest...” Levi's voice sounded again, drawing the boy from his desperate thoughts with a warm breath against the small of his back, just at the base of the brunette's spine, “...I am too.”

Gently, the raven eased in the very tip of his finger just a tiny ways past the boy's entrance, feeling the muscles constrict at the intrusion nonetheless.

“Relax...” the smaller male breathed, sucking a quick mark into the skin of the kid's lower back as he just barely breached Eren, his finger making slow and delicate circles as it gradually worked its way deeper.

Levi trailed nips and kisses up Eren's spine, listening to the boy's breathing fall unevenly in gasps and huffs.

“L-Levi, I can't-” Eren whimpered out, sounding a little distressed to the raven's ears.

The tone was enough to scare Levi into stopping, freezing in the worry that he may not have been careful enough and had accidentally hurt the boy. The pace was slow, and Levi knew that, but he wanted to make Eren's first experience of sex a purely good one from start to finish and every moment in between. The raven didn't want to cause his Eren a single twinge of pain if he could help it, only pure ecstasy.

“I-I need more.” Eren muttered suddenly, his only warning before he pushed back to completely surround the soapy finger.

A soft grunt sounded from the brunette as he shifted, albeit a little awkwardly, to place his head down against the side of the tub, cheek pressed to cold porcelain as he held himself steady with his grip on the edge. The boy's chest heaved with the steadying breath he took, brows furrowing slightly as he tried to decide what he was feeling. Not pleasure...not really, but it hadn't hurt either. Mostly it just felt strange and very much out of place. In Eren's good opinion from many centuries of living, fingers were not meant to go anywhere near assholes. It just wasn't something that he had ever thought that he would find himself doing. And yet...if it was Levi...then maybe it was okay.

Eren wondered if this strange, numb intrusion was how it always felt? But surely that couldn't be it...not with the way that Levi's body had responded to him. There had to be more to it than what he was feeling.

The finger inside him moved then, curling slightly as a second digit rubbed just below, Levi's middle finger stretched out a little to play with the skin just bordering the boy's testicles. Eren found himself moaning almost against his own will at the feeling, the sound slipping out without his consent as the intrusion began to grow less and less of a discomfort by the moment with the added attention.

“Are you alright?”

Eren nodded at the sound of Levi's voice, huffing out a breathy sigh as the contrast of warm breath travelling across his skin and the wet drag of (now cold) cotton against his back as the raven shifted up.

“Good.” The smaller male murmured by the brunette's ear, voice low as he moved up the boy's body. “I don't want to hurt you, Eren, and there's a very good reason for me taking my time. Be patient.”

Eren could feel the raven's fingers rotating as Levi's arm shifted with his movement; the middle finger drawing away to linger near the plunged index that had begun to move in and out, only an inch or so with each shift. It was only a subtle movement, but the speed of it was enough to allow the brunette to feel the finger penetrating him from the fingertip to about the first knuckle. Gentle, always so gentle, even though Eren wasn't your average breakable human.

Levi leaned in until his lips met Eren's skin, radiating warmth, and the raven trailed his mouth along the boy's flesh, switching between open and closed mouth kisses. He nipped at the boy's nape, feeling Eren shiver beneath him only to jerk a little moments later when the raven pressed forward carefully so that their bodies were flush together. The cold fabric still clothing Levi's body provided a stark contrast to the heat of Eren's skin and the temperature shift made the brunette whine.

“Leviiii...” the boy's whine drew out the raven's name in protest.

“Steady, brat...we have plenty of time. Trust me...by the time we're finished, you won't remember any name but mine.”

The words were a promise and the raven's tone was enough to make the boy tremble, legs shaking a little in equal parts eagerness and anticipation.

“I want you, Eren.” Levi found himself saying, lips pressed to the boy's ear. “I want to hear you scream my name until your throat is raw, I want to hear every moan you have in you. Don't you dare hold back on me.”

With the way Levi was speaking to him, Eren didn't think he could hold back even if he wanted to. Just Levi's dirty talking had the boy panting with need.

“I want you to feel only pleasure...” Levi murmured, kissing the shell of Eren's ear, pulling back a little to nuzzle the column of the boy's neck, lips moving from ear to neck until he paused to peck the juncture between Eren's ear and cheekbone, “so please understand and be patient just a while longer.”

The brunette whined low in his throat when he felt the sharper press of teeth against the bump of the top of his spine, nibbling up to his nape before soothing over the reddened skin with his tongue.

“Can you do that for me, Eren?”

The raven's voice sounded low and hungry, enough to prompt a rapid nodding from the boy. Eren damned near lost his grip at the rewarding twist of fingers he received for his eagerness. While craving more still, it was already maddening in itself how easily Levi could tease him. Every touch, hell, every word that fell from those thin lips drove Eren further towards the edge. Nowhere near ready to release physically; the strange and thrilling mental euphoria that Eren felt towards what Levi could do to him was similar to teetering on an orgasm. It was the sweetest form of torture that the brunette had ever experienced.

The boy was preparing to speak again, to beg, to whine and plead for more, anything to have Levi stop with his slow tease, when the finger inside him curled again, suddenly blowing away any and all other stimuli in a second. The feeling was so sudden that it startled a keening cry from the boy. His hands scrambled on the edge of the tub as his arms gave out for a moment, shaking as his whole body pressed back of its own volition in search of that searing pleasure again.

His mouth opened to let out a garbled string of sounds that were supposed to be words. Thankfully, Levi seemed to understand the noises as a question.

“Hoh?” The raven couldn't help but smile against Eren's skin, hiding the grin against the boy's shoulder. He hadn't expected to find the kid's prostate so soon, especially going so carefully as he had been. “Maybe you won't have to be so patient after all, huh, Eren?”

From that point, Levi had a better handle on what to do. Carefully alternating on the stroke of his finger; every time that he brushed up against Eren's prostate he would edge his middle finger in a little closer, pushing deeper until it began to work alongside his index finger. Eren didn't utter so much as a word of complaint, each breath bordering on a moan as Levi worked his magic, stretching and scissoring his fingers carefully in such a way that it allowed him to hit the brunette's prostate to distract the boy from any discomfort.

The raven leaned back, sitting back on his heels to get a proper view of his handiwork. He watched his fingers pushing in, disappearing into the tight, puckered muscle only to reappear. The sight was enough to make the smaller male lick his lips, but he controlled himself enough to gently force his fingers apart, only as much as comfort would allow, and then used his free hand to scoop up some of the bath water to rinse the soap suds that had built up. Washing carefully, the raven rinsed the suds around and (hopefully) inside the boy's ass with the warm water.

Eren's breathing was steadily coming back down as Levi finished up, satisfied with his work and gently extracting his fingers. The raven moved his hands to massage the brunette's ass, kneading the globes with care and drawing soft moans from the boy. Levi's tongue swiped across his lips again and he dragged his top row of teeth over his bottom lip as a certain want made itself very clear in his mind.

_I want to taste you._

The thought seemed to echo in Levi's mind, and Eren's sputtering moments later confirmed the raven's suspicions that he had uttered the words aloud by mistake. No matter, though, as it was completely worth it for the look on Eren's face when the brunette turned his head abruptly in surprise, teal eyes owlishly wide.

“Wha-? Ah-ahhh..!”

Eren gasped out his cry as Levi coaxed his cheeks to either side, dipping his head and dragging his tongue as close to the boy's testicles as he could reach, all the way back up to swirl his tongue around the now loosened ring of muscle. The skin was warm, clean and fresh. There was a subtle flavour, much like when Levi kissed the boy, which was no strong or identifiable flavour to be recognised...just enough of a taste to be well and truly Eren.

The boy's confused babbling vaguely reached the raven's ears, but he could only chuckle against the brunette's skin at his almost panicked stammering about Levi's own standards of cleanliness. The words died away in a high gasp as the raven plunged his tongue past the ring of the boy's entrance, driving it inside as far as he could to re-wet the taunt skin.

Eren's arms were shaking again and this time they really did give out for good. The boy nearly collapsed against his own weight, but thankfully the raven caught him around his hips.

Levi pulled back from the muscles contracting around his tongue and against his lips, feeling the boy's abdomen brushing against his arm with every new breath that the brunette sucked in and gasped out.

“Easy, Eren...” he breathed, kissing up the base of the boy's spine.

“Please, Levi, please...” the boy pleaded, leaning back into the raven-haired man.

Pulling Eren back along with him, Levi sat back on his heels and brought the boy to sit in his lap, winding an arm around to curl around Eren's swollen length at last. The boy cried out after having his cock being neglected, denied contact for so long, his whole body tensing for a moment.

Without lube on hand, and taking into account the dry properties of water, Levi knew better than to stroke the boy in long strides. Instead he kept to shorter strokes towards the base, shallow and with inconsistent changes in pressure.

Grinding his hips up against Eren as he continued to fondle him, Levi couldn't stop the low groan that sounded in his throat.

Only slightly irked by the fact that his lips could no longer reach the boy's neck from this angle, he settled instead on nipping at Eren's spine, his shoulder blades and sides, any skin he could reach. He wanted this, wanted it so bad that he was afraid of losing himself and not taking proper care or caution.

“Levi!”

A gasp of his name had the raven's attention and he hummed a noise in response.

“Please-ah...pleeeease, not like this, I don't want to cum like this.”

Levi found himself chuckling into the boy's shoulder. “What do you want, then?” He murmured, voice crooning in Eren's ear as he gave the boy's cock a small twist, letting his opposite hand drop lower to play with his balls.

“I...I want...”

“Tell me, Eren.” Levi whispered, licking up the brunette's spine as far as he could reach and biting as close to the nape as possible, lapping at the spot with his tongue afterwards. “I'll do anything you'd like, you just need to ask.”

The boy's head had lolled forward and hung limply as he panted, knowing that Levi knew exactly what he wanted but was leaving it up to Eren to make the final call. Considerate in his own way, just like always, the raven was willing to set aside his own wants and desires if Eren said something as simple as no. As simple as stop.

“Take me.” Eren said instead, his voice losing any of its previous shakiness with the conviction behind the words. “I want you to fuck me, claim me. Show me what it's like to be owned.”

There Eren went with those words again and it was all Levi could do to stop himself from bending the kid over the side of the tub and having him right then and there. But he managed to keep a hold of his last shreds of control, even against the temptation of the boy grinding down against his upward thrusts.

It took a near-herculean effort for the raven to get the brat turned around and lift them both out of the tub. Disregarding any thoughts of the mess they would be leaving, dripping water everywhere, Levi hoisted Eren's legs up to hook around his hips. Keeping a careful balance as he stepped away from the tub, the raven managed a smile as Eren assisted him by tugging the wet cotton of his shirt up and over his head, tossing the dampened item of clothing over the edge of the bath to be collected later.

Getting out of his pants took a little more creative effort, but stepping on the ends of the material helped to pull his legs out from the too-big sweatpants, leaving them in a heap on the floor. No caution, no careful and practiced showmanship, just a blind need forced the pair along.

Eren ducked his head to find Levi's lips, sealing their mouths together as he struggled not to rut his hips and impede the raven's walking. Thank God that Eren was lighter than he probably should have been. For once Levi found himself praising the existence of demonic magic as he carried them out of the bathroom.

The boy's skin was hot against his own, their dancing tongues near-dizzying in their frenzy. It seemed to take longer than it should have to reach the bed, probably because the raven had rounded the mattress to place Eren down on the far side nearer to the nightstand, but once the brunette had been gently placed upon the sheets all was a blur again.

Wasting no time, Levi dove forward to devour the squirming boy below him, setting his mouth to the brunette's skin with a passion. Eren keened and writhed at the attention, hips stuttering up in search of friction as the raven's teeth dragged over one pert nipple.

The smaller man's kisses were urgent, desperate, but still gentle. It was enough to confound the brunette, who had no idea that his human could possess such self-control.

Reaching back behind him, Levi fumbled for the drawer. Managing to tug it open a little unsteadily, he extracted the lube and began to trail his lips down, leaving the hickey he had been sucking into the boy's collar bone and working towards his navel. With one arm, he hooked under the small of the brunette's back and hauled Eren's ass to the edge of the bed, sinking his mouth over the boy's weeping cock.

Eren shouted out in shock at the jolt of pleasure that shot through him as Levi sucked down all the way to the base without so much as a word or warning. It felt good, so incredibly good, but Eren was desperately whining and trying to shoo the raven away before he came right then and there.

Levi could hear the boy's protests, could feel the fingers coiling into his hair, trying to decide whether they wanted to tug at the strands in encouragement or push him away. Keeping his pace as even as he could manage, the raven popped the cap off the tube in his hand and applied a liberal amount of the lube over his own straining erection. Coating himself evenly to be sure that this would go as smoothly as possible, he poured more into his hand and rubbed his fingers in the stuff to get them coated and warm the gel.

Reaching back up and tugging Eren even nearer to the edge of the bed, Levi pressed his slicked fingers to the boy's ass, pleased when the two digits slid easily back into place. He worked his fingers only as much as he needed to ensure that the boy was properly slicked inside, feeling the hands in his hair finally decide what they wanted to do and try to tug him away.

“Ah, stop, L-Levi! Stop stop stop..! I-I'm gonna-..!!”

The boy released a broken sound and Levi took that as his cue, releasing his mouth off the head of the boy's cock with a wet pop, leaning back in to kiss the tip as pre-cum oozed from it.

Eren groaned out an almost pained sound at the loss of that wonderful wet heat surrounding his length, but he sighed moments later, relieved that at least he hadn't cum right away. The raven withdrew his fingers soon after, standing again and observing their setting.

The bed was almost the perfect height for what he wanted to do and it only took a single pillow from the head of the bed to prop up Eren's hips a little higher until they lined up perfectly with Levi's hips.

With a quick pump to his own aching cock, Levi lined himself up to Eren, his other hand moving down to rest on the brunette's thigh. He kneaded the supple flesh gently.

“Is this-” the raven paused to swallow, shifting a little with need, “Eren...is this really what you want?”

The boy gave a nod. “It is.”

“I can't promise that it won't hurt.”

“I trust you, Levi.”

“I don't know if-”

“Levi...” Eren's voice was barely more than a murmur and yet it managed to cut off the raven's worried words as the boy pushed forward to sit up. His left arm bent to hold him up at the elbow while the brunette's right arm reached up, his hand cupping Levi's jaw for a moment before it trailed down his neck, over the muscles of his chest and the abdominals that flexed with every anxious breath the raven took, the hand finally coming to rest over Levi's hand that held his erection against the boy, “I said that I trust you.”

Teal eyes shone, fierce and reassuring all at once, and Levi didn't hesitate to meet the boy's lips. Pushing forward at last, the raven kept a prolonged pace, driving in only an inch at a time before drawing back and pushing forward again.

He could feel the sounds the boy made beneath him, each moan, gasp and whimper escaping against his lips as the raven attentively eased himself in. Kissing wherever he could reach, Levi whispered words of encouragement, of endearment, as he moved closer and closer to filling the brunette completely.

Eren couldn't help but feel foolish at the stray tears that slipped from the corners of his eyes at the hot stretch below. The boy's chest rose and fell with uneven breaths, gasping, moaning, hissing and panting at the sensations. He stood by his trust in Levi, in the raven's promise that he would make him feel good. He had already proved that with only his fingers, surely this could be made pleasant as well? Only this feeling of being filled, stretched slowly and so carefully...no matter how cautious the raven was being, it still made Eren ache in a way that he had never felt before. The feeling he was experiencing wasn't so much unpleasant, it didn't hurt or sting or make him want to stop, but it wasn't exactly gratifying either. It was far better than he could have hoped for should he have been first claimed in the demon world, which was a large part of the reason why Eren wanted Levi to have him so badly.

He wanted, needed a good memory of this to hold onto. He needed to have proof that this could feel good...and he remembered the way Levi's face had contorted in ecstasy under Eren's ministrations.

Even now...the raven hovered over him with his brow folded high, thin lips parted just slightly and his eyes clouded and just barely open as he looked down. It was the most beautiful sight that Eren had ever had the fortune to behold.

Levi looked happy, content despite his earlier concerns, and every time that Eren felt himself contract against the length that was steadily burying itself inside him, he watched, heard, as a moan would slip past those thin lips. The muscles in his arms would twitch and tense a little, constricting the grip against his skin and causing those lean fingers to grasp at him a little harder.

This was not at all what Eren had expected...and that was probably why he was crying. He knew what sex was, had seen it occur before, hell he had even participated. But this slow and gentle pace, the look of affection so strong in grey eyes that Eren had to look away, was unlike anything that he had known.

There was no rush, no hard and harsh movements, no hungry seeking mouth, biting and marking. The lips that carressed his skin every so often were as gentle as a feather. Eren kept waiting for Levi to break his pattern, to surrender his self-control and pound into Eren with abandon like he so clearly wanted to do...but nothing changed.

Slow, slow, always so achingly slow. Every single movement of the raven's hips came steady and smooth. In and out, until every inch was seated to the hilt. Every inch then pulling back out to the tip and pushing right back into that snug warmth, hot and slick and heavenly. No matter how much time passed between them, no matter how many times Levi drove his hips forward, he continued to move at that same agonising pace.

Eren shuddered underneath him, legs shaking, trembling, as needy moans and whimpers escaped his lips. He had barely noticed the transition from that aching stretch to what he felt now, warm and a steady, almost buzzing sensation of bliss. It had been growing so slowly that Eren didn't notice the change until he focused on it.

And Levi felt it too. The gradual build up, like a coil winding inside his gut, kept him close, so very close to the edge, close enough to almost tangible relief but far enough that he couldn't completely achieve it. Levi felt Eren shift and wiggle his hips a little, trying desperately to set a different pace, a faster rhythm.

Grey eyes remained fixed on the vision before them, of the breathless brunette strewn out beneath him and at his mercy. Fine, damp strands of brown hair clung to Eren's forehead, the brunette's boyish features contorted by pleasure, yearning for Levi. The boy's body arched as his hips, kept trapped in Levi's hands, fought to move against the raven in a desperate search for more friction.

Levi himself felt an overpowering rush of satisfaction watching the boy. For Eren's first time on the receiving end of sex, Levi never could have imagined that the boy would respond so well. Not once had Eren asked him to stop or complained about any pain.

For himself as well, he felt a little surge of pride. Levi longed to take quicker thrusts, short and shallow, to push himself deeper and harder into the constricting heat surrounding him. He longed to watch Eren's body bounce and writhe as Levi's hips met the brunette's firm ass with a resounding smack. He wanted to hear him scream out his name as he drove the head of his cock against that hidden trigger of pleasure within the boy.

He had already fallen a little out of his composure, leaving love bites and more than a few hickeys to decorate the boy's skin. Judging by Eren's moans, he hadn't minded in the slightest.

Levi wanted everything that Eren could give him. He wanted every breath, every shaking whimper and wanton moan. When he came, he wanted to taste the saltiness of that milky fluid that would decorate his stomach and chest; the physical reminder of that he had made Eren feel.

The raven couldn't help but want to devour the sight of Eren as he was now, wanton and lustful and desperatly moaning. He wanted to be the only one that would get to see Eren this way, the only one who would be able to keep Eren in this endless limbo of aching pleasure, so good that it was nearly a torture in itself. Levi wanted to be the only one to hear the boy's breath hitch as he rocked his hips, the only one to hear the sinful sounds of Eren's voice so far gone.

“God...” Eren said through a breathy huff, the soft sound muted in the room, “L-Levi...nearly, s-so close...I'm so close, Levi, pleeeeease...”

Long legs lifted to wrap around the raven's torso and Levi released his trapping hold on the boy's hips to help hook his legs around, moving his hands to grab hold of each ass cheek and pull Eren up. Levi helped to bring the boy's hips higher up and buried himself as far as he could possibly go into that tight heat, groaning a little as he did so. He kept himself fully sheathed and began to move his hips in circular motions as the two males ground against each other.

Levi watched as Eren threw his head back against the mattress with a long, low moan that sounded in the back of the kid's throat. Panting for breath a little, Levi had to fight not to do the exact same thing. He wanted to watch every moment of Eren while they were joined. He couldn't get enough of the boy enclosed around him, drawing him in, wet and squeezing, warm and moist, utterly delectable.

A breathy moan escaped the raven's lips and he cursed quietly as Eren contracted against him.

“A-ah...fuck, you feel so good, Eren.” Levi bent forwards a little ways, supporting Eren's hips with one hand while his other reached forward, fingers closing around one of Eren's hands which he drew up to his lips, kissing along each knuckle. “You feel like heaven. Don't go telling me it doesn't exist...I can feel it. It's you, Eren.”

The raven's lips carried on, worshipping as much skin as they could reach along the boy's hand, his wrist and arm, all the while holding Eren's eyes.

A heated blush flared over the brunette's cheekbones, flushing out and down through his body as the raven's words played out in the boy's head. His hand released at last, Levi let his free hand drop to massage the boy's abdomen, scraping blunt nails across the tensing muscles and finally easing lower to rub around the boy's straining cock. The leaking organ twitched in response, as if it were desperately seeking attention from that teasing hand.

That, coupled with Levi's soft murmur of words, meant so much to the boy and he wanted to look away, felt as though he _had_ to look away now or lose a very important piece in a complex game, but he couldn't tear his gaze from those stormy grey eyes.

Subtle fingers just grazing the weeping erection, Levi's hand moved to play with the course hairs that lay directly above.

“Say my name, Eren. I want to hear it. I want to hear your voice, your beautiful voice. Let me hear you, say my name.”

Levi divulged from the restrained and gentle thrusts in order to pull his own voice out more, drawing back slowly and pushing back harder, grinding into Eren as each thrust met skin before repeating the process. Over and over, rinse, repeat, each moan grew heavier on Eren's lips, coming a little louder, a little faster, as Levi's name became a frantic mantra.

Moans and gasps and incoherently jumbled versions of Levi's name mixed and morphed together between moans became like a siren's song to the raven as Eren's body began to convulse, to squeeze around him in quicker intervals, getting closer and closer to coming completely undone. Levi wanted to push him there.

Leaning closer and pressing his cheek against Eren's, Levi nuzzled closer to the boy's ear, his pace finally, _finally_ picking up as he knew that neither he nor Eren could withstand holding back any longer.

“I can feel you, Eren,” Levi began to rasp in the boy's ear, feeling Eren tense at the words and knowing that he had every last bit of the brunette's attention, “you're getting tight...ah-a...so good, the way you're squeezing around me, Eren, it's so good. You're so good. I want to cum, cum inside and fill you up, and then I want to pull out and watch it dripping down your thighs. Can I, Eren? Will you grant me such a sight?”

The brunette only managed a garbled sound that tapered off into a string of high moans.

“Will you cum with me, Eren?”

Levi could feel Eren blushing, the heat from his face tangible in the air, and he managed a little smirk. The kid was still very knew to the concept of dirty talking without actually planning to say something beforehand and Levi was finding a new love in teasing him with it.

But the boy was nodding now, rather frantically, probably unable to form proper words if he tried, and his hands which had previously been tightly entangled in the bedsheets fumbled to wrap themselves around Levi's neck.

Humming his approval, the raven wrapped a hand around Eren's needy cock and stroked abruptly from the base to the head and rolled the tip around in his palm. Those long fingers curled around the length again to repeat the motion as his hips picked up more speed, nearing in on their fast approaching climax.

The pressure in his belly was rising, hot and tight and so ready to break into release. Judging by the high whines and keening cries leaving Eren's mouth, the boy wasn't far off either.

Leaning in, Levi nipped at Eren's bottom lip, catching the pick flesh between his teeth as he caught the brunette's hazy gaze.

“S’no good Eren, let me hear you.” Levi's voice dipped into a husky tone, one that made Eren visibly shiver, and he pressed on. “Moan for me, Eren. Let me hear that voice.”

Opening those pink lips, Eren cried out, whatever words he had been planning to say were lost to the boy's keening.

“Good boy, Eren. Fuck, you're so good.”

The brunette started to gasp for breath a little, dragging in air only to expel it as a desperate moan. It turned Levi on far more than he would readily admit when the boy began to gasp and babble between the broken sounds.

“Ah-a-ah...please, Levi, cum, let me cum...fuck, _please_...”

It was as if a floodgate had broken and Eren stammered on in his fevered pitch.

Levi lost himself to that sound, his hand moving over Eren's cock as he couldn't prevent himself from losing his pace altogether and mindlessly pounded his own cock into the boy's ass. He could feel the brunette tighten, clenching around him, and the heat in his own gut burned close, so close, to relief.

Eren began to gasp out Levi's name in a high pitch, nearly yelping by the end of it. And then Eren came, his cock jerking in Levi's hand and shooting ropes of cum out to splatter across his stomach. The muscles in his ass spasmed and clenched, seeming to cave in around Levi with such sweet intensity that he couldn't even make a sound for a moment. A hard moan caught in his throat, rattling out a moment later along with Eren's name as he continued to push into that wet heat as he came, riding out his orgasm.

It was amazing to feel the pulse of his cock as it jet warmth inside the boy's ass, and the tingling pleasure of release buzzed all over him.

Feeling thoroughly spent and pleasantly worn out, the raven let his head drop to hang between his shoulders as he caught his breath. There was a numbing sort of bliss surrounding the two males, where every breath felt like they had just run a mile and every touch tingled over each and every nerve.

Tilting his head up to look at the boy, Levi noticed that Eren had shot far enough to land some cum on his chest and even his collar bone.

Levi knew for a fact that if it had been anyone else underneath him at that point, he would find it disgusting. Even his own essence made him feel a little unclean in a way that always made him want a shower.

And yet...on Eren, the shining coat of near-translucent fluid looked...inviting.

Bending his neck down, the raven dragged his tongue over the splattered puddle, sucking on the bead left on the boy's collar bone before sitting back up, arching his back with a moan.

Eren watched the raven's actions take place with a look of stunned awe, swallowing as he felt the warm wet drag of the raven's tongue against his skin as Levi cleaned his skin eagerly with soft, lazy laps of his tongue. Had he not just cum, Eren was certain that the imagery alone would be enough to cause him to erect immediately.

“How are you doing?” Levi's voice rasped in the quiet; the smaller male still hadn't straightened out of his arching stretch.

All Eren managed was a tired hum in response, earning a chuckle from the raven. He relaxed again, warm grey eyes flickering over the tanned expanse of Eren's skin. The boy watched as Levi's eyes trailed down his body to where they were still joined at their hips.

If it were physically possible, Levi would want to stay like this for a long while after the climax with Eren holding him inside. Safe, warm, protected and just plain close. But he knew that his waning length would eventually be pushed out by the tight heat, and besides...he was curious...

Rolling his cock one last time, Levi decided to remove himself. Pulling back and out slowly, he watched, fascinated, as his cock left Eren and a trickle of white and clear fluid flowed along with it.

The raven gave a low hum, swallowing at the sight. “So lewd...” Levi mumured, reaching down to swipe two fingers through the stuff. “Naa.. It's still coming out. You took in so much, didn't you, Eren?”

The brunette's face felt like it had literally caught fire at the comments and the boy let out a low groan, flopping sideways and grabbing the remaining pillow to cover his face. Any more of Levi's teasing and Eren feared that he may spontaneously combust.

Levi chuckled, guiding the pillow away from the boy's face. The pair lay ther for a moment longer, catching their breaths, relishing in the warmth and comfort that their two bodies provided.

“Come on, brat, just a quick freshen up and then we can sleep.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

They recycled the bath water, Levi deciding that he didn't care enough to wait to run new water, and the pair rinsed quickly in the now cool bath.

Dried off properly, the bed was stripped and the sheets thrown into the wash. Levi re-made the bed while Eren made himself comfortable on the sofa. Soon enough, a dark head of hair roved into view and a still naked Levi made himself comfortable next to the brunette.

Eren nuzzled him from behind, feeling thoroughly relaxed and boneless still.

“I don't want to go back...”

“Shh...” Levi hushed the brunette, rolling onto his side and drawing the boy into his arms, “just rest for now. We can work this out...just sleep.”

That honestly sounded like the best idea in the world to the tired boy and he settled down with a sigh, watching the smaller man nestled against him with thoughtful teal eyes.

Pink lips parted, breath pausing for a moment as Eren thought. “I think...”

He let the sentence cut off, jarringly so, in fear of what he was beginning to realise.

“Mm?” Levi hummed, just barely awake but enough so to prompt the rest of the sentence from the boy.

Eren swallowed, glancing over at the open balcony doors and out at the blue sky. He felt strange...so warm both inside and out. It was unlike anything that he had ever known before. Taking in a steadying breath through his nose, the brunette braced himself.

“Levi,” Eren began, his voice a quiet murmur, “I...I think I lo-” he paused when the raven didn't stir, a slight frown furrowing the boy's brow, “...Levi?”

The raven's breathing had evened out already. Levi was asleep.

Eren rolled his eyes but a little smile curved his lips. “Ugh, fine, I'll tell you some other time. Sleep well, old man.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *ducks for cover*  
> So that was Eren's first time. Hopefully y'all get why I took so long making sure it was as close to perfect as possible. Sorry about the long wait...again. Ugh, UNI life though. UNI LIFE O_O I have holidays soon and I plan to write as much as I can, so I'll try to power through a few chapters of each fic as I go :)  
> Before I go, I'd just like to thank each and every person who's read this and been nice enough to comment or leave kudos! Especially those of you who were here from the start! You all make my days brighter with your lovely words and encouragement (and patience, I'm so sorry!) But thank you all! Many hugs for you!


	33. Meet The Monster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Allow me to introduce...Eren's fiancée.  
> Enjoy.

“I'm waking up; I feel it in my bones, enough to make my system blow. Welcome to the new age.” – Imagine Dragons, Radioactive.

***

 

It was growing dark in the barren expanses of the dying world. With the darkness came the cold and suddenly the pits spouting fire and oozing molten stone didn't seem so unwelcome so long as they brought a little warmth.

But no creatures skulked about the plains of Eren's lands on this particular evening. The day was almost over, the end of a month of waiting, and by the time the sun sank below the jagged mountains every single thing that slid, crawled or flew in this place would be dead.

A shadow was coming. Not hurried, not in any kind of rush. Dark and silent as it crept over the land, bringing with it a bitter chill that froze the very ground. With the creeping smoke came an eerie quiet and the air grew far colder the closer the darkness came.

From the highest point in the castle ahead, Mikasa kept watch. The shadows were vast, a wall of darkness that steadily blotted out the sun. Soon there would be no light at all. The ground beneath the smoke was turning white as icy fingers crept across the surface of the charred earth. The ravenette knew what was coming and unless her brother miraculously arrived...they were all done for. But not without a fight.

The troops had been pulled behind the castle walls, armed to the teeth and ready to fight until the last gasping breath. Within the castles, all torches were lit. A mix of scarlet, gold and ice blue flames; fire that could be used to defend themselves if need be. There was no way of knowing how long they would be able to last, even with the elite fighters that Eren had recruited.

Annie had that look in her eyes; she knew this was going to be a disadvantaged fight. Every instinct that the blonde-haired demoness possessed was screaming at her to turn tail and run. Live to fight another day.

Instead, she steeled herself, exchanging nods with her fellow comrades. Reiner and Bertholdt looked the same, nervous and full of dread, but they were all here and alive because of one person.

Eren. They owed their lives to him, whether they liked it or not. Running was not an option. It was the same for just about everyone standing there. Eren wasn't the kind of creature to rule using fear. The boy had experienced far too much of that himself. No, he persuaded, he helped. Eren Jaeger saved.

His troops, all once betrayers, monsters, liars, thieves. Strange as it may seem, they behaved like more of a family now. And, like it or not, a family doesn't turn its back and run.

Silence hung heavily in the air, a dense kind of noiselessness. Not a sound stirred, inside the castle or out. It was so quiet that the silence seemed to press down on those gathered within the castle confines. The time was almost upon them.

From her perch atop the castle, the raven-haired demon scrutinised the sluggish shadows. It was as if the closer they came, the heavier the silence grew. Mikasa disappeared back inside as the oozing shroud of shadow crept close enough that it formed an enormous smoky wall blocking out the last light from the sun. Any torches outside the castle were extinguished, hissing out as the ice snaked its way up the walls.

Rushing down to stand before the soldiers waiting behind the drawbridge door, the ravenette took up a fighting stance, waiting. Not a footstep sounded, in fact the only noise that could be heard at all was the ominous crackling of the icy fingers creeping along the stone outside. And then…

“ _Yoohooooooooooooo..!”_

The cheery call echoed eerily through the still air, lilting enough that it could have been amused…but Mikasa knew better.

The time had come. No more second chances, no more games, and no more tiptoeing around words.

_He_ was here…and he was _pissed_.

No one dared to respond, everyone holding deathly still as though their lives depended on such silence.

“Come out, come out!” The voice called again, closer this time.

A slow, deliberate noise of footsteps crunching over the cracked earth outside seemed louder than it should have, terrifying as the sound paused just outside the doors. So he was over the moat? Fuck.

_Boom… Boom… Boom…_

Three loud knocks sounded on the door, causing the company to jump a little. All except the ravenette, who never once flinched in her stance. To let down her guard now, even a little, would mean death.

“Knock knock…”

Mikasa could feel every hair stand up on the back of her neck as the hiss of a whisper reached her ears and her eyes widened. She wrenched herself to the side just in time for the enormous wooden door to explode into a thousand shards and splinters with a deafening, cracking noise.

Debris showered down onto the gathered troops, wooden shards and splinters flying, deadly as knives to those who didn't move. But there was no time to help those who fell, injured and bleeding.

The eyes were the first thing that could be recognised through the smoke and the dust; two burning red embers floating in the darkness.

“Time’s up.” A deep voice murmured from within the shadows.

A screech cut through the air as one of the beasts tore forth, charging at the intruder. It was a brave but fruitless effort. A clawed hand cut through the smoke cover just long enough for the company to witness it slicing their comrade in two.

Mikasa stared on, mouth open slightly from the shock. There hadn't even been time to cry out, to shout an order to halt. The two halves of the now dead beast cracked and crumbled into ash, crawled over by the wisps of shadow.

A chuckle, low and deadly, echoed in the darkness around them.

“Anyone else?”

For some reason their slaughter was being drawn out. While that realisation caused a tingling horror to coil in the ravenette's gut, it also meant that there was time to stall until she could think of some plan, some way to defeat this monstrous fiend. She had to do it. For her people, for her parents...for Eren's sake if nothing else.

“Listen…” Mikasa began, standing her ground. She had to keep him talking, had to say anything to calm this monster down, even lie if need be, “surely this isn’t the only way to get what you want?” The raven-haired girl tried to reason, holding up her hands in an attempt to pacify. “I can find Eren, just give me some time to-”

“You had a whole month to warn your precious baby brother of my threats.” The voice within the shadows snapped, and Mikasa's eyes followed the angry swish of a black-scaled tail as it swept across the floor. “Too little, too late now, dear.”

This was bad, there wasn't much more that could be said to persuade him. Feeling her hatred rise, the ravenette gave up on reasoning in favour of snarling.

“He won’t forgive you for this.” She spoke the words like they were a promise. “You won’t ever have him this way.”

A low hum sounded, all too smug for the ravenette's liking, and the burning eyes flashed in the shadows. “You underestimate your value over mine.”

Mikasa snarled and opened her mouth to shoot back something else, anything to stall a while longer, but she paused…and frowned.

A noise registered through the words, the dust, smoke and fear…a high-pitched whistling that was rapidly growing louder. The sound was familiar…similar to an object falling from a great height, accelerating rapidly as it approached the ground.

The red coals of the monstrous fiend’s eyes dimmed, returning to their usual silver-white glow.

With a flash of white-blue light, something hit the ground with enough force to cause the demons gathered to lose their balance. The ground trembled, the very walls of the castle shook with the force. Even the black-scaled monster tumbled over, scrambling for his footing with a hiss as the smoke began to clear.

Standing, the creature turned with a snarl when something grasped its wrist, but the feral sound died away when burning silver eyes met fierce teal.

“Eren?” Mikasa gasped, trying to get to her feet.

Eren was home. Eren was right there.

Diving forward, the black-haired girl rushed to get to her brother, to keep him away from the fiendish horror he held as though it was nothing. She didn't make it very far.

The ravenette cried out in shock as a pale hand shot out of the smoke and suddenly it felt as though gravity was increasing. Crushing, forcing the demons down to their knees, their hands, further, until not a single movement was possible. The invisible weight held Mikasa down until she could hardly move, let alone protect her brother.

“Eren, no, you idiot! Why are you here?” She cried out fearfully.

The boy paid her no mind, keeping his gaze locked solely on the silver-eyed fiend before him. Eren had never looked so fierce, stern eyes holding lively silver.

“Enough.” The brunette said, voice uncompromising as he released the demon's wrist. “I'm here. Just as you wished.”

“Eren…” The voice purred, eyes alight through the shroud.

The shadows expanded then, rushing out to fill the room, and a flash of white hot light burst forth from the midst of the smoke. The gravity magic was gone just as suddenly as it had appeared. But by the time the sickly sweet smog had dissipated, Eren’s betrothed was gone…

…and so was Eren.

 

The ground was charred and crumbling beneath Eren’s hands as he pushed up from the scorched earth, casting a glare towards the shadows that chortled at him.

“On your feet, Jaeger.” The voice teased as the creature turned on its heel and began to stride off towards its domain. “You really need to work on your landing.”

Grumbling, the brunette dusted himself off, muttering under his breath. “You really need to work on your warnings.”

Turning, the boy came face to face with the shadow-shrouded fiend, nearly yelping in surprise at the sudden proximity.

Silver eyes flared in challenge. “Are you talking back to me?”

“…no, Sir.” A longwinded sigh sounded from the boy.

“Good. Now let's get the fuck inside. The light is playing havoc with my senses.”

It was still light here as the burning sun had no yet dipped below the far peaks. Back at Eren’s castle, the light was already lost behind their own towering peaks, but here there was still light and scorching heat.

Eren got to his feet quickly, following after the retreating figure as it moved rapidly over the ground, almost seeming to hover with the way the smoke curled about its form. That shroud of shadows would remain about him until he was inside and safely away from the light that offended him so. Many of the demons who knew of Eren's betrothed thought that he kept up the smoke to hide his face. They were wrong. It was far simpler than that; the burning sun of the dying world hurt his skin and eyes, so he hid from the light. Their red sun was far harsher than the sun of the living world, heating and drying the land until it was charred and useless.

Truly, it was a hellish environment.

The brunette looked up, taking in the familiar sight of the great castle that his betrothed dwelt in. Carved from the black stone of the mountains themselves and surrounded by volcanoes made dormant by his fiancée's freezing magic, the structure stood almost as high as the peaks it was built from. Around its base ran a moat filled with constantly flowing lava, frozen over whenever his mate crossed it. The building truly was a marvellous sight to behold.

The shadowy figure before the boy scurried inside, disappearing into the castle, but Eren had a good idea of where he might go. With his favourite plaything finally back in his reach, the demon would probably head straight for the dungeons where he kept his guests. Not that there were many.

It was dark inside, save for the light of the torches that hung from the black stone walls. White fire burned within them, casting a harsh glow over the rooms.

Following the light, Eren navigated the grand rooms and high-ceilinged halls and corridors, descending several flights of stairs until he came to the dungeons below the castle. The place was oddly quiet, with only the crackling of fire torches to break the silence. Usually there was some form of torture being acted out down here as the screams lifted his fiancée's mood. Tonight, all was quiet.

This worried the brunette. His fiancée had no shortage of slaves and visitors, spending the days trading with others of their kind or even indulging in a feast or fight to the death among lesser demons for entertainment. The point was…under normal circumstances the black castle would be filled with creatures. Thriving.

And yet the halls were empty. Not a single beast stirred, in a cell or otherwise. Not a breath or a cry could be heard.

Eren swallowed, beginning to feel more nervous by the minute. His betrothed only ever emptied the castle like this for two reasons. One: if he was in a terribly bad mood. Two: if he wanted to spend some alone time with one of his toys.

The boy had an awful feeling that he was the only toy that would be used for entertainment that night. What was worse...Eren's mate was also in a bad mood.

If he was lucky, the brunette might be skinned alive. If he was unlucky, he might have his limbs cut off one centimetre at a time.

Electing to press onward, Eren took a deep breath to steel himself and began to walk the length of the dungeon. It was a bit of a maze, with the cells lined up on either sides of wide hallways and a centre space of about ten metres in width by twenty-five metres in length. It was so dark, even with the light from the torches lining the walls. They left little orbs of illumination, lighting up only parts of the space. Eren’s steps echoed softly in the quiet, his senses straining to pick up anything at all that would help him locate his betrothed. He was here…that much Eren was certain of.

The brunette could feel it in his bones. It was like the walls were laughing at him, the very air seemed to taste of mockery. The longer he walked, the more anxious he grew. Skin tingling, eyes wide and searching the shadows, Eren jumped at every little shape created by the white flames on the stone.

A chill shot through the boy, the sensation like icy needles pricking their way up his spine, and he shivered. Eyes widening, the brunette spun on his heel and went rigid.

Black smoke loomed close enough for Eren to smell it, the sickly sweet fog invading his nostrils. Followed the whole time, the brunette had not been aware of his mate barely a few centimetres away. He couldn’t move, fright rooting him to the spot as a hand reached out, shining black scales glinting across the knuckles in the white light of the torches.

Curved talons extended past the pale fingertips reaching for him, black as the shadows around them, but the brunette could only stare at the two silver points of light within the shroud as the clawed hand slid under his chin.

A low, predatory hum sounded, so deep that it was almost a growling purr, and through the dark smog Eren witnessed the pointed-tooth smile, white teeth reflecting the light eerily.

“Eren…” the creature spoke his name as if it was the only word that could satisfy it.

A name is a powerful thing, and Eren felt his knees go a little weak at the sound of his own name leaving his mate’s tongue. He hated himself for reacting like that, for reacting at all, and he couldn’t keep the disgust from his eyes.

It only seemed to serve to amuse the fiendish being before him, silver orbs dancing in the shadows.

The low purring was back and the shadows closed in, the hand under Eren’s chin sliding until cold fingers curled about the column of his neck. Pressure. Talons digging in just enough to sting without drawing blood, Eren was pushed, guided backwards, herded until his back met the cold stone of the wall.

The brunette let his head fall back against the stone, baring his throat as was expected. His betrothed liked him best when he was vulnerable, defences down, and whether he paid the price for it or not…it was his best option if he wanted to avoid worse punishment.

By some miracle, his mate seemed pleased by the brunette’s actions, leaning ever closer. The boy could feel the other demon's breath falling on his skin, warm at least, and fanning out leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. It was enough to cause the brunette to shiver, the gentle tremor moving through his body, up his spine.

Eren swallowed anxiously, managing not to cringe at the sudden wet heat of his fiancée’s tongue tracing up his neck. Hot, slippery, and leaving a cool trail behind. Next came the less comfortable pressure of sharp teeth coming to rest over the boy’s hot skin and Eren froze, eyes squeezing shut as he awaited the pain to start.

It won't least long, Eren promised himself. Just a moment, just a taste, that's all his mate wanted, just a moment to savour what was his.

Only the pain didn’t start. The demon didn’t press his teeth any further, although it was a clear struggle. Hot, damp breath fell on the boy’s skin in pants until his mate gave a frustrated sound and wrenched himself back, releasing his hold on the boy.

The brunette released the breath he had been holding, the rush of air coming out sounding rather a lot like a relieved sob. Only he wasn’t relieved…he was concerned.

Breathing a little unsteadily himself, Eren let himself slump against the wall. The shadows were watching him, a flurry of emotions tearing about and morphing the shapes that flared up here and there. Like a living ink blot test, ever changing, the smoke shifted even as the demon hidden within remained deathly still.

Eren wanted to speak, wanted to question and ask what was wrong. The only problem was that he had an awful feeling that he knew what the problem was.

He still hadn’t been punished. That was just about the only thing that would keep his mate from tasting him. It was one of the demon’s favourite things to do after getting the brunette back on his home territory.

Regarding the silver gaze within the smoke, Eren swallowed.

Those burning eyes promised wrath, as did the twisting black fumes that coiled about the demon’s form. Things weren’t looking very hopeful for the brunette. Usually the guise had been dropped by now, Eren had often prided himself on being the only creature that this terrifying being would allow to see in his true form. As it would seem, Eren was under threat of having this privilege revoked.

The boy surmised that he must be in one heck of a lot of trouble for making his mate wait for so long.

“Seeing as you seem to have set your heart upon not greeting me,” the shadow-cloaked demon spoke, sighing within the darkness, “I guess we’ll get right to the point.” Silver eyes pinned Eren to the spot, burning with their intensity. “You’ve been a bad boy, gallivanting off in the human world.”

Eren swallowed yet again, his brows pulled together in concern as he waited for his punishment to be decided. The figure in the shadows had begun to pace, slow and measured steps clicked against the floor.

“Honestly, I’m torn.” The other demon said with a longwinded sigh after a moment. “I don’t know whether to bite you or teach you the meaning of the word Hell.”

Barely anything could be seen through that shroud, all Eren caught were glimpses of glowing eyes or the occasional flash of pointed teeth forming a wicked smile. Still, the conversation was leading them nowhere and all the brunette wanted was to have his torment over and done with.

Considering that he hadn't been bitten, there was only one option left for the boy to assume. It wasn't going to be pleasant.

Eren’s mouth set in a grim line. “Well clearly you aren’t going to bite me.”

Silver eyes flashed, amused in a way that threatened to make Eren lose his nerve.

“Are you really going to give me attitude right now?” The words sounded light, but the warning in them was so clear in tone that Eren’s ears pressed back against his skull anxiously.

The brunette forced himself to keep eye contact, knowing that to look away was to give this threat a chance to move.

“I won't apologise.” Eren stated, his tone surprisingly soft despite the words that seemed defiant.

“Because?”

“Because that would be a lie.”

“And?”

Here it came, the simple truth. “And I know better than to lie to you.”

No one lied to this being and got away with it and Eren had no wish to face any more wrath than he had to. The boy had learned his lesson through many mistakes, but it gave him an advantage now.

“Good boy.” The smoke-shrouded demon purred, flashing a grin at the brunette. “You've learned quite a bit since I last laid eyes on you.”

Praise felt good, as it always did, even through the perilous aura surrounding the two.

The approval didn't last long and Eren swallowed, feeling dread creeping up his spine with every passing moment that the silver eyes within the smoke stared him down.

“Nevertheless,” the voice spoke up again, and Eren had to cringe because here it came, the verdict, “you were avoiding me, you crafty little fox. Going a whole other world away seems a little extreme, don’t you think?”

“You’re an extreme kind of threat.” Was all that the boy had to say in response.

A low chuckle sounded, deep and amused in his fiancée's throat. “Point taken.” He murmured, lips curving in a languid grin. “But I’m afraid that you’ll still have to be punished for making me wait. Don’t worry; I’ll give you a fair chance.”

It took a moment for the brunette to process the words, racking his brain for any clue as to what to expect. A fair chance? What?

And then it hit him...they were going to play one of his betrothed's games. Oh no. Oh hell no.

The slither of scales on stone brought Eren crashing back into the present and his eyes landed on the approaching figure of his fiancée.

In a flare of panic, Eren pushed off from the wall and lashed out with his tail to unbalance his betrothed, attempting to scramble away in the brief moment of confusion. The demon's reaction to this was to let out an excited WHOOP as he stumbled, twisting his body to regain his balance and righting himself far quicker than the brunette had expected. Eren yelped in fear, having barely made it to the hall when two arms grabbed him roughly from behind and yanked the boy back.

It had been a stupid move, a panicked decision, and Eren shrank a little in fear at the low growl that sounded next to his ear. The brunette whined out a repentant sound, not daring to struggle as he was caged in against the other demon's chest.

“What’s that?” His mate's voice muttered, low and dark by his ear. “You want to play tag? Alright, let’s play tag. Daddy’s it.”

The arms holding Eren prisoner released him suddenly, a purr of ‘ _run_ ’ sounding in Eren’s ear. The smoke-shrouded fiend turned on his heel to face away from the boy, bringing up a hand to cover his eyes.

“Ten…”

Eren’s eyes blew wide as he understood what was happening and he scrambled from the room, flailing in panic and clawing at the walls, the stone, anything to pull him along further. That was the wrong choice and he knew it, would have to control his fear and be quiet if he wanted to survive this game. The boy made a hasty ‘left or right’ decision as he entered the corridor where it split off in several directions. He chose right, heading for the stairs that would lead up. Up would lead him to more rooms and maybe the complex layout of the castle would be able to assist him.

“Nine…” the other demon's voice echoed cheerily down the corridor, eerily clear.

The ‘fair chance’ that Eren's mate was oh so graciously granting him was a ten second head start. Eren grimaced bitterly at the memory of using this very same technique the first time that he had met Levi. In the alley, during the rain and the running red, on that very first encounter. Before the boy had even made the connection, caught in the hazy bliss of the kill, so distracted by the blood and the thrill of being caught that he hadn’t even noticed that he had found the human reflection of his mate.

At first he had been amused, wondering how different the demon and his human counterpart could be. He had never expected to see the man again. He had never expected...to fall as he had.

Here, behind the shadows, behind all of the smoke shrouds and shields, lay the same black hair, the very same face with its sharp angles and harsh lines. Only here there were claws, teeth and hunger.

Fear, always in the back of your mind. Here, any moment could be your last.

Eren could still hear that fiend’s voice, already down to ‘five’ in his count, and the brunette took the stairs two, three, sometimes four at a time in his rush. The further he got, the more it seemed as though the other demon’s voice was coming from the walls themselves, deep and dark and nothing like the human tone that Eren had come to know.

He could feel that voice in his bones.

“Two… One… Time’s up! Ready or not, Hell-bait, here I come!”

The brunette had to make an effort not to whimper at that, feeling a tingling shiver of dread shoot down his spine so intense that it almost hurt. He ducked inside the closest room, darting to the back and sliding down the stone wall.

Eren didn't want to play, he didn't want to run. The journey back to Hell had been tiring enough on its own, not that he could use such a thing as an excuse. No doubt his fiancée would laugh in his face and mock him before turning him inside out.

No, there was no choice but to endure. If he was good enough entertainment, he would be allowed to live. That was the way it had always been.

There were all kinds of ways that Eren could play this game. He could wait around and let his fiancée find him, pray that maybe he wouldn’t be too cruel. He could attempt to barricade himself in one of the rooms and wait out the siege. Or he could indulge in the chase that he assumed his mate wanted from him.

That was the least appealing of the choices, even if it could yield the best results.

Opting for the second option, Eren leapt up and scanned the room properly. There was not a hell of a lot to block the doors with here, meaning he would have to risk heading out into the hall again.

He couldn't half-ass this, didn't want to, not with the monster waiting for him at the end should he fail. This was a game...just another game to entertain a mind that had been left bored and idle for too long. Eren could feel fear, real fear, clawing at his insides at the thought of all the twisted things that his mate could have prepared and planned, having nothing better to do than plot away relentlessly.

Eren owed his fiancée a chase.

The brunette stole away into the darkness of the hall, now eerily quiet apart from the feathery whispering of scales against stone. The master of the castle was on the move.

They always played by rules, a few choice rules that would level the playing field, if only a little.

1\. No noise-cancelling magic or excessive stealth.

2\. No leaving the confines of the castle.

3\. No flames.

From the sounds Eren heard, those rules were still in play. Inhaling, the brunette began to run.

Each step was as light against the stone as possible, until the brunette found himself a much better space to hide in. A storage room, filled with wardrobes of weapons and lots of heavy boxes stacked up. Deciding that this place was about as good as it would get, the boy dashed inside and coaxed the heavy wooden doors closed. It wasn't perfectly silent, of course how could it be with the weight of the wood on the hinges, but quiet enough.

Eren immediately set about moving things to block the door. First, the great wardrobe. After checking, the brunette found it filled with old spears. Next, he shoved a heavy chest in front of the wardrobe, and after that many boxes were stacked.

“What's going on up there, darling?”

The boy froze upon hearing the voice. It echoed through the cold, empty corridors, but had most definitely come from downstairs. So his mate was still in the dungeons? Or at least he had been. Damn it.

With near-blinding speed, Eren rushed about to check for other possible entry points. He didn't want to be taken by surprise.

There was only one other door, but it led into a hallway that was not connected to the dungeon staircase. He was safe, at least for now.

_Tap, tap, tap._

Three knocks, muffled as they were by the barricade, sounded from the door.

Chest tightening in fear, Eren spun around so fast that he nearly toppled over.

“Knock, knock, sweetheart.” From beyond the door, a gentle tone called.

If Eren had a heartbeat, it would be racing by now.

“My, my, someone's nervous.” The voice murmured from the other side of the door and Eren could hear the smile in that tone. “Come on, little lamb, let me in.”

Now there was a trap if ever Eren had heard one. An offer, gentle words and the barest promise of freedom, of reward, if only he would open the door.

Eren was bolting out of the room with barely a glance back, hearing a bone-chilling chuckle coming from beyond the door.

“Clever boy. Clever little fox.”

The tell tale crunch of wood splintering sounded with a crash behind the brunette, echoing as he sprinted through the maze of halls. Given some time to slow down and take in his surroundings, the boy might just have been able to recognise where he was, but to slow down was to be caught, and to be caught so soon was to face an all new punishment.

All that was left was to run.

 

Two brutal hours later and the chase was beginning to take its toll. Eren had nearly been caught no less than two times, the bleeding cuts on his right forearm and shoulder proof of that. Close calls. Too close.

The torches were slowly going out. One by one the lights died.

Once, the brunette was faced with a hall containing not even a single torch. The stretch of yawning darkness beyond called to him in all the wrong ways, making his skin tingle as if an electric current were passing through his nerves. Eren's wounds burned, the pain similar to the scalding vat of boiling metal that the boy had encountered on his first visit to the living world. A painful reminder of his failure.

The walls seemed to shake, a terrible groaning sound more suited to wood than stone echoed all around the brunette, disorienting him. There was no way to tell which way he should run. Cornered, the boy let out a strangled cry, a sound of anguish, the kind of cry a creature makes when it's just about ready to surrender.

An inhuman laugh rumbled through the corridor, making every single hair stand up on Eren's body, and he turned tail and bolted.

Just a little longer, all he had to do was make it to the dining hall. The hearth was there, he could hide in the chimney, or under one of the many tables set out to decorate the room. Eren's feet flew, scrambling against the cold floor.

A sudden hot, searing flash erupted in front of the brunette and he cried out in shock, skidding to a halt as one of the flaming torches sent tongues of white fire his way. Eren blanched, his head snapping around to look down the hall behind him, paling when he spotted two pinpricks of silver light at the end, and a pale hand illuminated by the fire, outstretched to manipulate the flame and block his path.

The rules were slipping. The hunt was entering its end phase.

Eren's time was up.

Turning, the brunette dove under the flames, hissing at the harsh scrape of stone against his skin. Scrambling to his feet, the boy raced for the hall's end, hearing the whispering growing in volume behind him. Seeing the first rushing wisp of smoke in his peripheral vision, Eren let out a guttural cry as his feet cross over the threshold and he twisted his body to narrowly avoid slamming right into the first row of tables in the dining hall.

Chase complete, the boy wasn't willing to run any longer.

Facing the doorway, Eren backed up as he waited. The floor, the walls, the ceiling, everything shook. Those fingers of shadow were creeping in, curling around the edges of the stone frame, oozing into the room slowly, lazily. There was no rush; the monster already knew that he had won...and that made the last stretch of the game all the more terrifying.

With a sudden roar, the room was flooded with the shadowy smoke. The torches were extinguished with the violent rush of wind at the same moment that the hearth burst to life.

There was a hand around Eren's throat before the boy had time to realise that anyone had been in front of him and the brunette found himself being slammed back against one of the stone columns. The boy hit the surface with a grunt and a pained gasp, and his mate only needed that split second to close the gap between them.

Eren choked out a sound of alarm as cold lips moved against his own, tongue invading to keep his mouth open. Not a kiss of praise or reward, but of punishment. Mouths locked together, Eren could do nothing to fight the stifling smoke that his mate breathed into his airways. A new torture was born as the shadow-cloaked demon withdrew, stepping back to watch the show.

The brunette shook his head wildly, dazed by the action as he struggled to maintain his balance. Dark wisps of the smoky shadow rose up to join the rest, curling about the boy's legs, up his torso and in through Eren's nostrils, his mouth, open and gasping for breath out of instinct.

The fog was thick and stifling, sweet in his nose, in his lungs. Heavy, it weighed the brunette down from the inside. Just because demons didn't strictly _need_ to breathe didn't mean that they couldn't be tortured with something so simple as choking.

Coughing and dry-retching did nothing to dislodge the suffocating smog that crawled in through his nose, his mouth. Eyes open wide, scowling defiantly even as the brunette dropped to his hands and knees, weighed down by the sorcery.

This treatment could go on for hours, there was no point in struggling. That would only give another reason to extend this punishment. Far, far better for Eren to just accept that this was his fate for now.

Choking, burning from the inside as though the boy had breathed in hot ashes and the fumes from one of Hell's volcanoes, it scorched his insides. Eren felt charred, like he was melting, brittle, and the slightest pressure could cause him to crumble.

The floor was shaking, there was a howling in Eren's ears that made his head ache. His bones felt like chalk, his mouth was dry, his eyes watering.

His mate had been right...this was hell.

Claws digging into the stone beneath him, tail lashing out defensively, the brunette had to force himself to remain still as the figure in the shadows drew nearer. The boy had to be obedient, to take it lying down, and his betrothed was reminding him of this. It was Eren's task to cater to the whims and fancies of his mate and insubordination would not be tolerated.

This was his punishment and penance for disappearing.

This was what he had _earned_ for himself during his time away.

The figure crouched low, one knee resting on the ground to support the demon's weight while the other remained bent. A hand reached out, talons extended, and it took every last bit of Eren's willpower to keep from jerking away.

Claw-tipped fingers trailed along the boy's left shoulder, digging in as they went. Slow red oozed from the wounds left behind, mirroring the cuts on the right, and the brunette choked out a whine through the suffocating fog still filling his airways.

_Don't lash out, it's what he wants you to do. Don't lash out, don't lash out. It's only pain, it could be worse. It's only pain...it's only pain..._

Fighting back the instinct to defend himself was difficult, but Eren remained still, defences down. His eyes stung, his throat felt too tight and his body may as well have been burning from the inside.

But he took it lying down, gaze dropped, and it seemed to be exactly what his mate wanted from him. The claws digging into his skin disappeared and smooth fingertips took their place, tracing up Eren's neck until they paused under his chin, tilting the brunette's head up.

Silver eyes bore into bright teal as the wraith leaned closer.

“I missed you.”

All at once, the black smoke retreated, seeming to dissolve into the air until it had vanished. The brunette coughed again as his airways were freed, the crushing weight lifted at last, and he allowed himself to collapse to the floor.

The cold stone pressed against his cheek, clean as always and with the rich scent of the volcanic stone from which it was carved. It was shocking how exhausting the effects of the other demon's magic were; mouth open and panting, Eren didn't even have the energy to react when he felt a hand in his hair, the long fingers carding through soft locks. Teal eyes blinked up wearily at the creature, the being who had previously made him suffer, whose actions now seemed filled with care.

Looking up now, as the shroud of smoke fell away from the other demon, Eren couldn't help but feel a tiny flickering of satisfaction at having earned the right to be privy to see the true appearance of his mate again.

Although the sense of victory was short lived.

Eren stared up at the all too familiar face, all the same sharp angles that he had grown accustomed to, only with none of the warmth he had come to know on that face. Looking up at familiar eyes, silver here instead of grey, and the very same black hair, fine and soft and parted just a little way from the centre, elegant thin brows and thin lips curved into their customary smirk, Eren felt his chest tighten uncomfortably.

“Rivaille...” the boy managed, his voice miserably breathless.

A thoughtful hum was all he got in response as the dark-haired demon continued to pet his hair, silver eyes watchful.

“My, my, someone's good at running.” A little quirk lifted those thin lips into a crooked smile that suited the raven's face far too well. “Have you been practicing?”

Heaving a sigh, Eren could only stare groggily up at the amused demon. A chuckle sounded, rich and sinfully smooth, and it made the boy's heart ache.

“Poor, tired brat.” The raven cooed, cupping the brunette's face. “Do you want to sleep so soon?”

The brunette pouted; with all their differences, both Rivaille and his human counterpart seemed to have decided that the word 'brat' was a suitable nickname for Eren. The irony there was almost cruel.

It was a while before Eren could stand on his own again and Rivaille remained to fuss over him as if the boy was a kitten and not a temperamental demonic monster. Then again, in comparison to his mate, Eren was probably about as dangerous as a box full of kittens right about now. Give him a day and the brunette could storm a castle or begin the apocalypse. Right now, though, all he wanted was some rest.

Hauled to his feet with effortless ease, Eren slumped against the other demon. His feeble attempts to stand on his own were smirked at, but Rivaille let him try anyway.

“Okay, that's enough for now.” The raven chuckled, scooping Eren off of the floor for the third time after watching the boy collapse again. “Rest for now. Shall you take your usual room?”

Eren made an unimpressed sound at the question, knowing that by 'room' the raven meant his cell. That cold, caged square of stone in the dungeons was where he had always been made to stay.

“Oh, don't look so sullen,” the raven cooed, stroking the boy's cheek, giving an amused hum at Eren's indignant pout, “I was wondering if you might prefer to stay with me instead. I can assure you that my chamber is a far more pleasant place to spend the night compared to that dank little cell of yours, hmm?”

Exhaling at the thought, Eren had to grasp at the wall for support when Rivaille let him go. The boy had never even seen his mate's bed chamber before, probably because up until more recently their relationship had been more of a predator and prey kind of deal. Having the offer there...he knew that he had to decline, for his own peace of mind. Who knew what Rivaille would try if he agreed to spend the night with him, it was too risky.

Remaining silent, the brunette's eyes dropped to the floor, inclining his head in the direction of the dungeons. He didn't mean to be disrespectful, far from it. The room seemed to drop in temperature and Eren cringed a little, knowing that the raven was displeased with his answer.

The brunette sensed the glare forming on Rivaille's face more than he saw it, hearing the familiar derisive 'tch' cut through the air.

“Disappointing.”

A strong grip closed around the brunette's forearm seconds before Rivaille's smoke shroud moved the pair yet again, transporting them across the castle. When Eren was able to see once more, they were standing back in the dungeons. Dark except for the white flames burning in the torches that hung on the walls, the brunette swallowed as his eyes adjusted quickly.

Not a moment later Eren was being shoved into one of the cells, the only one the raven ever kept empty solely for the boy, and locked in. Scrambling where he fell, Eren managed to sit up, gazing back out to where Rivaille stood still scowling. Although there was some effort keeping the cold mask in place and Eren was surprised to see that.

“Only the finest of accommodation for you, sweetheart.” The raven sneered, put out by the boy's rejection.

With a start, the boy realised that Rivaille had been hoping that Eren would join him. The demon had honestly expected the brunette to come around.

Rivaille turned on his heel, heading for the stairs.

“Rivaille!” The brunette called after him, hands curling around the bars.

The raven paid him no mind, not so much as pausing in his stride. He had been in a fowl mood all day and it was time to retire.

The torches died out after the raven left, plunging the dungeon into pitch black darkness. Yet another punishment for the brunette. He would remain here, alone and ignored in the dark, until his mate grew bored enough to return.

It would be a lonely stay, but this was the price that Eren had to pay after neglecting the raven for so long.

With a heavy sigh, Eren scooted over to the back corner of the cell, curling in on himself. Tail wrapping around his body, the brunette hoped that he would at least be able to create a little warmth. Sure, he could start a fire somewhere, but he had a feeling that Rivaille would not approve. No, he'd just have to sit this one out and hope that he wasn't left down here too long.

Tired, hungry after spending his last days with Levi and thereby not feeding, Eren settled himself to rest.

Thoughts of Levi crossed his mind now, through the cold and the dull throb in his shoulders, the steam where his wounds were gradually healing.

What was Levi doing back in his world? Was he sleeping too? Was he worrying? Was he thinking about Eren the way Eren was thinking about him now?

Whatever the case...at least his human was safe. Levi was safe, as were Eren's people, his friends. The price for their safety? For everyone's safety? Eren himself.

“Sweet dreams...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Applause for all those who guessed who the fiancée was, well done and congratulations! In fact applause for everyone who had a guess, thanks for being good sports and playing along ^_^  
> I rewrote this chapter so many times it hurts to think about, but I think that the result is worthy enough. I hope so, anyway.  
> I'm trying to get a few chapters done so I can post when UNI starts again. Obviously, I won't be able to update anything regularly, but I'll write when I can. A HUGE thank you to everyone who has stuck with me this whole time, thank you for your patience. I'm so sorry for all the waiting. Thank you to everyone who reads this, I love you all!  
> Until next time!


	34. In His Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day two in Hell. Rise and shine, Eren.  
> Enjoy.

“Welcome to your life, there's no turning back. Even while you sleep, they will find you...” – Tears for Fears, Everybody Wants To Rule The World.

***

 

Sleeping was usually a rather straightforward kind of task. Lie down, close eyes, relax, fall unconscious. It didn’t sound all that difficult, and yet Eren seemed to be having trouble with something as simple as keeping his eyes closed.

Blinking, the brunette’s hyper-sensitive eyes could make out muted silhouettes of shapes, the bars of his own cell and a little ways beyond into the yawning darkness.

It was like being stuck in a void with no escape. The darkness seemed to press in on him.

There was no warmth to be found, the cold air made Eren shiver, chill seeping into his skin and making his bones ache. The boy’s shoulders were still sore from healing, his body not used to the deadly caress of another demon’s touch after so long in the human world.

He managed to slip into unconsciousness in the times when it didn’t feel as though the void of darkness had eyes, those times few and far between. His sleep, however, never lasted long and only teased him with dreams of warmth and the kind, gentle touch of the one person that Eren needed right then. The one person who could never come here.

Eren resisted breathing the name, although the desire almost overwhelmed his logic. Rivaille didn’t need to know that he had a rival, let alone his own reflection. How the raven would laugh if he knew that even in the living world Eren could never truly escape him.

Rivaille the night wraith. Nightmare itself when he wanted to be. It had felt like it had been years since Eren had last laid eyes on this dark creature. But he had seen that face every day since travelling to the living world. Oh how the irony was coming back to bite him now.

Well…not literally bite him. Not yet. Rivaille had been too angry with him to bother reclaiming that most primal ownership of the boy. Eren sulked; it shouldn’t matter to him that his mate hadn’t bitten him. Heck, he should be thankful that he hadn’t. Yet here he lay, moping and miserable in the dark thinking of how not all of the pain that Rivaille caused him was a burden.

The brunette thumped the heel of his palm against his temple once, twice, to clear his head. A frustrated little sneer curved his lips as he exhaled sharply.

His fiancée, this ebony-scaled, silver-eyed fiend, might have looked and sounded exactly like Eren's precious Levi, but the two were very different.

Levi might have been a little surly and oddly fixated on keeping things clean, but he was gentle with Eren. He was mindful of the boy’s needs, caring, and challenging in only the best of ways.

Rivaille wasn’t all bad, either. For one, he smiled quite often and, violent or no, he understood how to appeal to Eren’s wants as a demon. As a monster.

His mate was flirtatious, teasing, cheeky, and disturbingly chipper at the worst of times.

But Levi and Rivaille shared things in common as well, such as their short temper and knack for fast learning. Both of them were fiercely protective of the things they considered to be their own. Both were dangerous in their own worlds.

But these thoughts weren’t helping Eren to get any sleep.

The boy let out a wistful sigh, curling even tighter against himself. Exhaustion hung heavy in his limbs, promising to draw him into unconsciousness if he could be still enough and stop chasing the images and memories racing about inside his head.

Pushing the thoughts back, the brunette forced his mind to go blank. He focused on keeping the space behind his lids void of colour, letting any shapes that presented themselves fade to black. No more images, no shapes or sights, no lines of colour or recalled sounds. The shadows felt empty again, darkness and nothing more. No lurking terror hid within the gloom, Eren was certain. It was just him alone, utterly and completely alone, within the confines of these depressing stone walls.

Breathing slowly, evenly at last, the brunette settled into an uneasy sleep.

 

“Wake up, sunshine!”

The cringe-worthy sound of claws scraping along prison bars startled Eren out of a fitful sleep. He jerked upright with a garbled sound of alarm, head snapping around to search for the source of the noise.

“Well that was adorable.”

It was light in the dungeons, the torches were relit and Eren spied several sky-lights letting in a little extra illumination. Not too much, though. It must be dawn.

Bleary shapes came into focus slowly as the brunette shook his head, trying to rouse himself. He felt drained still, like the rest had achieved next to nothing. It was very disappointing.

Eren's eyes focused on the figure approaching. Rivaille seemed unusually chipper for someone who hated mornings, already smiling as he sauntered along towards the boy's cell, dragging a hand and his talons against the bars of the other cells as he went. A startling wake-up call, but an effective one. The raven’s wings were gone, not in immediate use and therefore lacking in appearance today. It should have made the black-scaled demon look less intimidating…only it didn’t.

For someone who had been dreaming of warmth and the comforting embrace of a human, Eren felt a stark contrast upon waking in the cold of the dungeons.

Wide teal eyes lost their initial alarm, lids lowering to shoot the cheery raven a displeased look. Eren tossed his head, looking away, and settled back against the stone as if to return to sleep.

It was a petulant display and he knew that, but he was determined to give Rivaille a hard time for the chase he'd endured upon returning. He supposed it was that stubbornness that had earned him the nickname 'brat'.

But he couldn’t help it, he was cold, chilled to the bone it felt like, and his lids still felt heavy. Every sound was an offence to his ears, too loud, too echo-y in the hollow dungeon.

Footsteps paused on the other side of the bars, one foot tapping at the stone. The click of Rivaille's claws against the floor grated at Eren's already frayed nerves.

“Oi, no one said you could go back to sleep.” The demon muttered and Eren could just picture the way he must be standing, arms crossed over his chest, brow cocked, weight supported on his back foot to give his stance that challenging lean.

“Five more minutes...” the boy groaned, burying his head under an arm.

He wasn't ready for another game, another chase. Eren felt tired, more so than before he had gone to sleep. The boy would grant his mate an entire day of whatever the fuck he wanted if only Eren would be left to sleep a few more precious hours.

“Don't be such a brat.” Rivaille snapped, unimpressed with the kid’s noncompliant attitude. “Get your ass out here or I'm coming in there.”

Usually that had a pretty good effect on the boy, scaring him out of his sleepy disobedience fairly darned quickly. Eren knew that Rivaille would make good on his threats and nine times out of ten that would be enough to get the kid to jump into action.

Not today, though. Eren barely stirred when Rivaille addressed him, his only real reaction had been waking. The brunette managed to raise his head sluggishly, as if trying to decide if he could actually stand up at all, before dropping back to the floor and lying there, listless.

Frowning, the raven-haired demon slipped inside the cell. He paced over quietly, making just enough noise so as not to startle the boy, and crouched beside his brat. Eren made a pitiful sound of protest at the proximity, reacting badly based on past experiences. The brunette had less than fond memories of this cell, and he attempted to scoot away now, but Rivaille got a good hold of the boy's chin so that he couldn’t escape.

Tilting Eren's head up and into better light, the raven frowned. Eren's eyes were dull and hazy-looking, barely focusing on him at all. Those eyes were usually bright and shining with defiance. Come to think of it, the brat was looking a little sickly, thinner than the raven remembered.

“Shit, when was the last time you ate?”

That was a good question...when had Eren eaten last? The boy couldn't remember. He'd been so focused on spending his last days away with Levi; the thought of feeding had barely crossed his mind.

Offering an unhappy sound in reply, Eren tried to pull back from the hand still cupping his chin. Rivaille wouldn't let him go, though, still appraising.

“That's the shittiest excuse of an answer I've ever heard.” He muttered, but those silver eyes were soft despite the biting tone.

It was nigh impossible to discern just what was going on behind those eyes, within that messed up head. Even with how long Eren had known this being, it still managed to surprise him. The sudden gentle look in those eyes, old and wise, if not a little mad, was shocking. Rivaille was rarely gentle; things like that didn't promote the fear that he thrived on. But he wasn't incapable.

After a long moment of consideration, the raven seemed to make some sort of decision, leaning in a little. “Better drop out of you warrior's form there, you need all the strength you can get.”

Teal eyes flared a little, every single inch of the brunette rebelling as if under threat. Lips curling back over his teeth in a snarl, the growl sticking in his throat, the boy's tail swished against the floor in warning. The barbed tip adjusted accordingly; keeping careful aim towards the smaller demon should he decide to attack.

The raven only rolled his eyes. “I'm serious, brat.” He muttered, and Eren hated that he sounded as serious as his words promised. “With your level of energy right now, holding your strongest form is only going to drain you further. Keep this up and you won't be able to move.”

Eren bristled at Rivaille’s suggestion that he leave his full demon form, wondering whether or not it was another of the raven’s traps. True enough, the longer he waited, the weaker he would become. At least without nourishment of some sort. Mistrustful blue-green orbs regarded silver, trying to decide if it was worth the risk of letting his defences slip even further.

A sigh rustled past thin lips and Rivaille idly stroked the boy's jaw with his thumb. “Look,” the raven began, his voice surprisingly quiet all of a sudden, “I won't hurt you, alright? Not when you're so weak.”

Eren turned his eyes towards the floor, fighting back the pout that threatened to form on his face. It was one thing to recognise that he wasn't doing so well, but having it stated so simply by his mate, like there was no surprise to the situation at all, that stung.

“No promises once you get your strength back, of course, but for now I'll be good.” The low voice continued, still lulling, still attempting to comfort in his own, strange way. A hand came to rest over the back of the boy's neck. “Drop the form, Eren.”

The words were spoken gently, but Eren couldn't help but notice that they were still an order. Rivaille was still in alpha mode, even holding him down with the hand at his nape. The brunette made a noise similar to that of an unruly cat protesting at being picked up, still trying to back away as he glared up at the raven.

Those eyes said it all.

_I don't trust you._

Nevertheless, the grip on the boy’s jaw tightened, curved claws digging in without apology.

“Stop it, you troublesome little shit.” Rivaille snapped, reaching the end of his tether at last. “I give you my word I will not harm you, understand? Drop your form. Now!”

Grimacing, Eren’s ears pressed back against his skull as the raven’s tone rose. Angering Rivaille would do more harm than good and so, averting his eyes, the brunette gave in to the demand.

A shimmering blue-ish light washed over the boy and he winced as his horns disappeared, his own clawed hands and feet becoming normal, human once more. Wings gone, the last to change was his tail; the teal-scaled appendage reverting back to the fuzzy, more feline-like tail that his human was familiar with.

Dejected eyes remained on the ground, humiliated with the need to take on a lesser form to survive. At least it was a less painful process than growing the horns and wings was.

“Good, Eren.” The raven murmured, running a hand through the boy’s hair. “I almost like you better this way.”

Eren tossed his head weakly in a pitiful attempt to dislodge the stroking hand, teeth bared in a half-hearted snarl.

Of course, _of course_ , Rivaille would prefer this form, something that he could manipulate and control. Something that clearly demonstrated which of them was in charge.

The black scaled demon studied the crestfallen brunette, giving a low hum. Despite popular opinion, Rivaille wasn't solely interested in pain and suffering. He didn't want to see his young mate moping all day, but there was only so much that he could do to cheer him up within the confines of the dungeon.

“Well that settles it.” The raven said suddenly, rising with some look of purpose. “Come on, brat, we're going hunting. I won’t have you moping about the place any longer.”

Eren made a startled sound as he was hauled to his feet rather ungracefully and Rivaille was walking, practically towing him along. The smaller demon didn't even seem to mind that the brunette had to slump against him a little to stand at all, heck the bastard almost looked like he enjoyed being a pillar for the boy.

In truth, Eren was still trying to catch up, both with the raven's quick stride and the situation.

“Hunting? Now?” He questioned, stumbling a little as he attempted to match Rivaille's pace. “But the light-”

“It's twilight,” the raven cut him off, silver eyes cutting him a sidelong glance for a moment only to look back ahead a few seconds later, “why else do you think I'd be waking you?”

Eren faltered, allowing himself to be towed along.

Had he really been asleep for a whole day, as well as the night before? Was he that out of it? He supposed it made sense, especially considering how exhausted he felt. And, of course, it would account for the raven's good mood. Rivaille was nearly always a little moody during the day, bothered by the light or the heat or the dreadful barrenness of the land he inhabited. Nights, though, were a whole other story.

Snapping out of his thoughts, the brunette recognised the corridor that led to the front entrance to the castle. Rivaille wasn't joking about going out, then.

At the door, the raven turned to look at Eren, silver eyes scrutinising.

“On second thought,” Rivaille began, releasing his hold on the boy's waist, “you'd probably be better off staying here.”

Eren had to sway a little to regain his balance, nearly smacking his head on the wall as he grasped wildly at the stone for purchase. “But-”

“No buts, Jaeger.” The raven snapped, stern once more. “You can barely keep your eyes open. A fat lot of good that would do if we ran into something willing to fight back.”

“I’m not some useless sapling. I can help-”

“Enough! I won't have you out wandering in such a state, is that clear?”

There was a long moment in which Eren stared petulantly at the ground. He despised being thought of as weak, as useless, but what could he do? Rivaille was right, at least for the moment there wasn't much that the boy could help with.

Lips pressed into a hard line, the brunette refused to meet the other demon's eyes as he responded. “Yes, Sir.”

It seemed to satisfy the raven well enough and Rivaille departed, striding out into the cooler evening air a few stride before summoning his wings. Flexing the great leathery membranes, he launched up into the darkening skies.

Eren watched the raven leave, and Rivaille felt a little flickering of satisfaction lick at his spine, his fingertips, at the knowledge that his little scheme had worked.

The raven had had no intention of allowing Eren to go hunting, not in his current state, but it had provided the perfect excuse to get the boy out of his cell without making Eren suspicious. Rivaille couldn't have the brat thinking that he had gone soft, or goodness knows what the boy would ask him to do.

But having the boy out of the dungeon would do the world of good for his morale. Eren didn't cope so well with being cooped up, as much as he tried to hide it. Rivaille knew that his young mate would be much happier exploring the castle. Although in the state he was in, the boy might not get very far.

As much as the raven knew that Eren needed to have a little time to himself, Rivaille wasn't eager to leave him alone for long when he was so out of it. He would have to get this hunt over as quickly as possible. A few quick scouts of the mountains closest to the castle were performed, on foot mind you, mostly to extend the time it would take for him to get back. Not too long, not too short.

It wasn’t necessary for the night wraith to shroud himself in his smoke magic after the sun dipped below the mountains. The nights in Hell were cold and most of the inhabitants would be asleep or huddled about the pits of fire and molten rock that decorated the land.

Black scales melting into the night, Rivaille moved with absolute stealth. Not a stone moved underfoot, not a crunch of earth was heard as he launched off again, disappearing into the darkened sky. Soaring, silver eyes lost their glow so as not to blow his cover, scanning the rocks and mountain crevices below for any stirring life.

It was at the base of one of the far volcanoes that Rivaille spotted it, curled up a little ways inside a hollowed out portion of the rock towards the base of the mountain. The vermin must have burrowed there in search of warmth, having found a safe way to get near to the magma within, the beast had made a home.

How foolish.

A serpentine demon, mid-level. Not much of a challenge for someone like Rivaille, but harmful enough that the raven was glad that Eren was still within the confines of the castle.

The ground seemed to rise up as Rivaille hurtle towards it, landing with barely more than a soft crunch of ash beneath his feet. It was more than enough sound to stir the creature and, as the snake-like beast rose up to tower over the raven, yellow eyes glowing in the dark, Rivaille wondered whether it would have been better to make a silent entry.

“Don't struggle,” the raven muttered to the beast, grinning at the low hiss the words earned him, “and I might make this quick.”

 

It hadn't been quick exactly. More of a tease, but Rivaille had always been a big fan of playing with his food. Thankfully he wouldn't have to worry about consuming this particular morsel; the raven was most definitely not a fan of serpent fiends. They had terrible tempers and tasted vile to boot.

Still, it should give his sickly brunette just the sort of pick me up that the brat needed; being a mid-level demon ought to grant a decent power trade.

Rivaille had taken his time so that Eren would have enough time alone, now landing outside the black stone walls of his home. The moat had begun to thaw out, and the raven decided not to freeze it over again just yet. Eren would recover much quicker without the constant cold.

Violent, mildly-insane bastard or not, Rivaille did feel something for his mate. Of course he did. There was the sense of possession, the drive to protect and he supposed that his possessive side was what drove him to keep Eren locked up. There was affection, his own diluted form of it, a little polluted by jealousy.

The point was...he was trying. Rivaille wanted to try, even though it wouldn't be easy. They hadn't exactly had the best start and the raven knew that he was controlling.

He had a temper, he was violent, begrudging, but it wasn't those things alone that drove him to hurt his mate, to torture that beautiful creature hiding somewhere within his home. Through pain and shock, he could wipe away past experience, revert the boy to a clean slate and then...they could form a proper bond from there.

Complicated, too, was the need for Rivaille to have Eren know that he belonged to him. The kid didn't seem to appreciate just how significant it was that he was even still alive, given the raven's track record with other creatures he had claimed to hold dear. Possessive to the point of irrational thinking, more than one of his comrades had perished by his own hand. The reason? Rivaille ate his comrades to keep them close. To keep them from being harmed by any other creatures. He considered it a mercy, living in the world that they did. He killed them before they had the chance to experience true horror, took their power as a memory, as a way to honour their lives.

But Eren wouldn't understand...wouldn't give him the time of day if he ever tried to explain.

“Eren?” Rivaille called, shaking the snow from his wings before allowing them to fade away.

If he could help it, the raven wanted to appear as non-threatening as possible. Well...as much as one could while dragging a serpent wraith three times their size, in any case.

No immediate response came, understandable considering that the brunette could be anywhere in the castle. It didn't take very long to locate the young demon, lying miserably in the dining hall. The boy was curled up by the hearth, nestled close to the flickering fire within. Blue-ish green, the brunette's own flames were trying to warm him.

Rivaille resisted the urge to sigh at the kid's stubbornness, still trying to take care of himself even if it only sapped more of his dwindling strength, all because he was too proud to ask for help, for comfort.

Dumping the paralysed serpent onto the floor, the raven crept over, crouching beside the brunette and reaching out with a hand to touch the boy's face, pale fingers pressed feather-light against the younger demon's cheek.

Eren's skin was like ice and the boy barely stirred at the touch, opening his eyes sluggishly to peer up at the raven-haired demon.

Twisting his palm to cup the boy's face, Rivaille greeted his mate. “Hey.”

The boy almost managed a smirk at the casual greeting, exhaling a soft breath that could have been amusement.

“S'cold.” The brunette slurred, his skin a sickly pale grey.

Understatement of the century; Eren might as well have been an ice sculpture. Rivaille was tempted to hold the boy, but if the thought seemed strange in his mind, he could only imagine how the brunette himself would react.

“How're you faring?” The raven murmured instead, stretching out his free hand to stifle the boy's fire, replacing it with flames of his own.

It would do no good to have Eren wasting his strength trying to keep himself warm when Rivaille was more than capable of providing that for him. In truth, there was a lot that the raven could give to Eren...a lot that they could provide for each other. But, as always, trust issues kept up a constant barrier.

For all that the raven tried, he was just as bad as the brat when it came to placing his trust in another creature. He was probably worse. But...other beings...they weren't reliable. It was hard, just giving over loyalty like that, and he understood why it was hard for Eren.

It didn't stop Rivaille from losing his temper though.

At least Eren relaxed a little as he watched, not having to maintain the fire any longer, letting a little sigh pass his lips at the feeling of warmth.

“I'm tired.” The boy mumbled, his voice so quiet in the big room.

“You can sleep soon.” The smaller demon promised, eyeing the difference between his palm, the skin so white in contrast to the tanned skin of Eren's cheek where his hand still rested. “I brought you something.” Rivaille watched the teal eyes open, a tiny light of curiosity brightening the otherwise dull orbs. “You're not going to like it, but it'll do you good.”

Curiosity turning to confusion, Eren followed the raven's pointed finger to the snake-like beast that lay strewn by the door. Still alive, still staring at them. Eren could feel its warmth from where he lay; lip curling in disgust, the brunette made a little whining noise of complaint.

“Gross.” He griped, pulling a reluctant face. “You know I hate those.”

Rivaille did know that. In fact he may have been a little bit eager to see the brunette eat all the more because of it. Eren had the most adorable range of facial expressions.

“I know,” the raven murmured, running a soothing thumb along the boy's jaw, “but it'll be worth the bitterness.”

Something in Eren's expression said that he knew that, the boy knew that the benefits would be well worth the disgusting flavour, but there was reluctance still.

“They taste nasty as fuck.”

True, this type of demon wasn't exactly what one would consider fine dining. But it was a decently strong beast, or had been before Rivaille had crippled it. Broken its neck and hauled its sorry ass back here where his mate could consume it in peace. It would do no good to kill this prey, then it would only turn to ash and be useless. Eren would need to eat it alive to take its power.

Rising to his feet, Rivaille strode over to grasp the serpent by its head, hauling the paralysed creature towards the hearth and tossing it down next to the brunette.

“Just eat it.”

Eren stared begrudgingly at his meal for a good, long moment, contemplating if he would actually pass out if he didn't eat it. But the look on Rivaille's face was beginning to cross from irritated to downright bone-chillingly worrisome and so, grumbling, the brunette dragged himself closer to the creature and took the first reluctant bite.

His face screwed up at the bitter taste, worse than rotting meat, but swallowed thickly. His complaints and curses filtered through the air with each bite, but he was eating and that was all that mattered. It seemed to improve the raven's mood too.

Rivaille watched Eren eat, feeling a little relief wash over him when a tiny bit of colour began to come back to the boy's features. The raven hated seeing his mate so sickly, especially when he had planned their reunion after so long quite differently to how it was playing out. But this was the hand that the universe had landed them with and Rivaille planned to roll with it. First, nurse the brat back to health. After that, he could see how well the boy responded to being courted.

Come on, Eren, just one bite at a time. Ignore the taste; it'll be worth it to stand again, to be able to raise his head without it being a damned effort.

At some point, Rivaille had disappeared. Eren wasn't sure when the raven had left the room, or if he had walked out or used his teleporting power, but the boy didn't notice his absence until the smaller demon was walking back into the dining hall with a rolled up rug thrown over one shoulder and a pillow under the other arm.

All thoughts of feeding fell from Eren's mind at the sight and he watched, confused, as the raven set up the rug by the hearth, rolling it out at a safe distance from the flames and placing the pillow at one end. He disappeared again, definitely teleporting this time, and by the time he was done Eren had a little nest of blankets being arranged.

Silver eyes locked with surprised teal, startling the boy out of his staring.

Rivaille's gaze flicked between the boy and the remnants of the serpent.

“Eat.” He said, sharp, an order.

And Eren did, but he turned himself around to watch the raven fuss over the bedding. While the boy finished off his food, grimacing all the while and making faces that must have looked ridiculous, Rivaille took one last venture outside to gather dead and dying branches of the few trees that grew high up in the mountains. As useful as a demon's own flames could be, Rivaille wanted Eren to be able to have real, tangible fire tonight. The heat from the coals would do him good and it had been a long time since the hearth had held anything other than the raven's own magic fire.

A little old-fashioned care should have the brat right as rain soon enough.

By the time he got back with the last armload of branches, Eren had finished his meal and was busy padding about in the bedding, pawing at the plush rug. It was a pretty thing, deep red and made of thick shaggy carpet that Rivaille had found in one of his ventures to the living world. Back in the days when he could still get there, that was. The soft pile carpet had never really been of use before and the raven had considered ridding himself of the thing many times. Now, though, he was glad that his irritation hadn't gotten the best of him.

Eren watched, suspicious, as Rivaille went about building a fire...a proper fire. It was very out of character. But the brunette wasn't being yelled at for messing with the blankets, so he figured that it must have been for him anyway. Rivaille had his own room with a proper bed, there was no way he'd been making a place for himself to sleep. So Eren made himself comfortable, nestling into the bedding and almost letting slip a happy sigh.

That was until Rivaille turned around, dusting his hands and apparently finished with the fire. The raven had used his own flames to start the blaze, of course, but white fire soon gave way to a more natural yellow and orange and the air began to warm.

Eren eyed the raven as he moved, hands and knees, padding towards where the brunette lay.

“What are you doing?” The boy asked, unable to disguise the panic in his voice.

Silver eyes rolled at his mate's nervous fidgeting, teal eyes wide and locked onto his every movement. Mistrustful as always.

“Just lay down.” The raven ordered.

“Rivaille.” The brunette's voice held a hint of warning and he edged back a little as the raven crept closer.

“Relax.” Rivaille murmured, reaching out to guide the boy down on his side.

Eren lay stock still while the raven ran his fingers through his hair, just idly stroking, just...there. As weird as it was, the brunette kind of understood. In his own...misguided way, Rivaille just wanted to be a comfort. He just wanted to be able to provide that.

The boy wasn't sure if he knew how to deal with this side of Rivaille. He'd never seen him try before.

But maybe...he could trust himself to sleep...just for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there's anything else in the Hell environment that y'all want to know about, or if something I write doesn't make sense, feel free to let me know. Or if there are any elements of Eren and Rivaille's dynamic that you think I've missed, tell me. I'm always looking for ways to improve and I don't bite, I promise. (that's Rivaille's job) Drop a comment, leave some love, let me know what you think :)  
> Thank you to everyone who's read this far! Thirty four chapters. (That's as much as Levi's age in the manga, people. Woo!)


	35. Displacement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little catching up with Levi.  
> Enjoy!

“And I’ve been trying to find, what’s been in my mind, as the days keep turning into night.” – Alexi Murdoch, All My Days.

***

 

Adjusting was never easy, but Levi had gone through his whole life making adjustments thanks to changing times. Now was no different, other than the fact that he was informed this time.

No longer in the dark, the raven could steel himself for things to come. He wasn’t helpless, he could prepare.

While Eren was away, there were some things that the raven-haired man had planned to do. Partly to keep himself busy, he realised, but also to take precautions.

Eren had left with a promise that he would return, plain and simple. There had been no mention of when, but Levi would hold the boy to his word. He would come back.

And so Levi busied himself. He had cleaned up the apartment, stripped and remade the bed, washed the sheets, reorganised the cupboards, dusted, swept and mopped all of the floors. It was a little bit of an old routine, but whatever worked, worked. As long as he was occupied, he wouldn’t be able to worry too much.

It was a good plan in theory. However, in practice it seemed harder than ever to keep thoughts of Eren from the raven’s mind. But he had a list and he would stick to it.

Cleaning done, the next item on the agenda would require better clothes and not just the old sweats that Levi used to clean the flat in. Pulling jeans and a simple, cream sweater from his wardrobe, the raven dressed and tugged on some shoes.

There was only so much routine that the raven could immerse himself in before it would cease to distract him. Heading out was his next best option anyway.

It was busy outside; the streets seemed oddly crowded, or maybe it was just because Levi had been used to so few people in his life of late. Still, the bustling pavement did him good. Chatter of passers-by and the white noise of passing cars, engines humming, the occasional blare of a horn, all of it blended together. The perfect soundtrack for numbing the mind, Levi almost walked by the jewellery store, located a little ways past the main square.

Shaking his head to centre himself, the raven apologised to the woman he had almost run smack into when he had skidded to a stop outside the door of his intended destination, ducking inside the store.

Quiet descended. The noises of the street were but a muffled hum on the other side of thick glass.

“Can I help you, Sir?” A young man, presumably the store’s clerk, stepped forward.

Ah, instant service. Good, the raven wasn’t really in a browsing mood.

“Yeah.” He replied, affirmative, and gave a nod. “I’m looking for something in silver.”

The younger man nodded in understanding, making a confirmatory sound in his throat. “No doubt we can help you there. Do you have anything specific in mind, or would Sir like me to suggest some items?”

Usually overly helpful staff got on Levi’s nerves. Today of all days, he found the assistant’s careful conversational steering to be rather refreshing.

“Suggest away.” He assented with a little gesture of his hand.

Smiling pleasantly, the clerk took a step back and waved the raven over in the direction of the counter, browsing for only a moment before he selected a thin chain, plain, long enough to be a necklace or a wrap-around bracelet perhaps.

“What about this, then?” The young man enquired, letting the chain hang, suspended between his fingers for the raven to observe. “It's sterling silver, elegant, not too showy. A fine choice for you, Sir.”

Grey eyes appraised the chain, taking in the rather delicate quality it seemed to give off. One good tug could probably snap those frail links. But it wasn’t really the item itself that mattered to Levi.

“Sterling, huh?” He muttered, rubbing two fingers against his jaw as he thought. “What's the silver content in that, then?”

Unsurprisingly, the question caught the young clerk off guard and he stood there, blinking. “The content?”

“Yeah. It's...important.”

Levi supposed it was a rather odd line of enquiry. Most people would have been perfectly happy being told that their product was made from sterling silver. But Levi Ackerman wasn’t most people.

The clerk recovered quickly enough, though, seeming to write the question off as something unusual and moving right along.

“Of course.” The man nodded, partly to himself and partly to appease his customer. “Very well, I'll just have a check for you.”

Levi watched as the younger male ducked out of a door behind the counter, presumably to go in search of the raven’s desired information.

This uncertainty about the silver presented a bit of a problem. Would sterling silver be able to keep a demon at bay? Would it be concentrated enough, or would he need pure silver? It frustrated the raven that he didn’t know and he could feel himself scowling irritably.

The clerk was returning and the raven forced his eyes up, features smoothing out as the other male appeared again.

“It's a bit of an estimate,” he announced first, glancing at a little piece of paper in his hand, “but sterling silver has around ninety percent silver content, going by mass.” The youth explained, looking up at the raven and reaching over to hand the bit of paper to Levi.

Ninety percent…well that was pretty damned close to being pure. Accepting the paper, Levi glanced at the few notes scrawled in small, printed handwriting. According to what was written on the paper, sterling silver was fairly close to being pure. Ninety-two point five percent silver, with the remaining seven point five percent consisting of nickel and various other trace elements.

But the clerk hadn’t finished. “Fine silver, however, is ninety-nine percent silver. In fact it is, by definition, pure silver.” The man continued. “It's a bit more fragile, being one of the softer metals, and if you were to purchase something of that quality I would recommend handling such an item with extra care. But if it's important to have that kind of quality..?”

Sentence left to trail off, the clerk looked to Levi for the final decision.

“It is.” The raven replied, tone unyielding.

It was crucial that Levi had a decent source of protection at hand, easy to access should he need it. Not to keep Eren at bay, heavens no, but something about their conversation of the weaknesses of demons made Levi sure that having a little silver on hand couldn’t hurt. Especially if Eren’s worst nightmare came true and he actually brought another demonic creature to Levi’s door. At least then the raven would have some viable means with which to defend himself.

“Hmm...” the clerk gave an understanding nod, moving to rummage about in the cabinet behind the counter, “perhaps something else, then? What about something like this?”

Levi observed as the young man held up a new chain, thicker than the usual finer link necklaces that guys usually wore, but then again the raven could probably pull it off. The store clerk certainly seemed to think so, with the way his eyes flitted across Levi's face, no doubt taking in the metal he already had on display.

Attached to the chain, there was a cross with a simple onyx stone on the centre. Levi had to suppress the urge to scoff, knowing that Eren would have a thing or two to say should he come home with any sort of religious symbol. But still, better safe than sorry and there was one thing that the raven could do that might pacify any qualms from the boy.

“The stone,” Levi began, stabbing a finger towards the black rock in the cross section of the crucifix, “does it only come in black?”

“No, but if you wanted another colour, I'll have to order in.” The young man informed him. “We only have this in stock at the moment.”

Pausing for a moment, the raven ran a thumb along his jaw thoughtfully.

“What other colours do you have?”

Fishing out a magazine from below the counter, the clerk rifled through the pages until he found what he was looking for. Handing the booklet over, the young man tapped a finger against the page where an image of the necklace in question was displayed, along with a little tab listing the other decorative stones available.

Most convenient, the raven thought to himself as he accepted the magazine, noting the thick, glossy paper under his fingers. It reeked of expense and snobbery, but that couldn’t be helped.

There was onyx, scarlet, both blue and gold topaz, peridot, and several others that Levi rolled his eyes at. Since when did colours like pink and green need such long and obscure titles? But, towards the bottom of the list, his eyes found something promising.

A low, vaguely amused hum sounded in the raven’s throat, deep and warm.

“Found something you like, Sir?”

A nod. “I think I have. I'll take the necklace, if you can get it with the turquoise stone.” Levi informed the young man, tapping a finger against the chosen colour.

Leaning over just to make certain that the raven had the right stone chosen, the clerk nodded with a small smile. “That shouldn't be a problem, Sir. An excellent choice.” The youth took the magazine back when Levi handed it to him, sliding the booklet under the counter once more. “It might take a few days to get here, so if you would just leave your name and phone number here, I'll be sure to contact you the moment I have a collection date.”

Levi nodded, scrawling down he correct details on the little slip of paper that the clerk passed him. “Sounds good.”

He was informed that the minimum number of days until the necklace would arrive would be four days, but it should get there within a week. Not too bad, all things considered.

Mentally checking off that particular task, Levi exited the store and stepped back out onto the street. Instantly he was immersed in the bustling crowd, watching as people moved around him with seeming effortlessness, like water navigating around a stone.

With a decent amount of extra time to spare, the raven decided to treat himself to lunch at the Italian café he hadn’t visited since…actually he couldn’t recall the last time he’d been there. The cheery little place had a new sign with pastel yellow lettering in some odd font that reminded Levi of the gnarled roots of an oak tree. Still, it was legible enough and suited their homey atmosphere.

“Mr Levi!” A voice cried out, familiar and enthusiastic.

Levi had to smile as he glanced up, grey eyes landing on the familiar face. The staff were just as cheery as the raven remembered, and he felt almost nostalgic seeing Sasha's grinning face again.

“It’s Ackerman. Mr _Ackerman_.” The raven corrected, shaking his head as he stepped up to the counter, but his tone was rather complacent. “Levi’s my first name. And don’t call me Mr, I’m not that old, just Levi is fine.”

The girl was too busy clapping her hands together to listen to him properly, beaming away. “It’s good to see you again, Sir!”

The raven-haired man ran a hand over his face at that but couldn’t quite stop the little wry smirk that tweaked at his lips. Sasha had always been a tad too cheerful, but her enthusiasm for life was damned contagious.

Everyone seemed to be addressing him as 'sir' today. Weird. Levi really ought to get out more, and then simple little things like that wouldn't throw him off kilter.

“Did you enjoy the coffee?” Sasha threw the question at him like it made perfect sense.

Only it didn’t, at least not right away.

Frowning a little, the raven gave a confused hum in reply. “Hmm?”

“You bought a box before, remember?”

It took a moment, but he did recall the purchase. That's right. To be honest, he hadn't used all that much. He made coffee some mornings, mostly when he needed to wake up, but the raven much preferred tea. And Eren was more of a stickler for hot chocolate, although if Levi expressly made him coffee the boy would undoubtedly drink it. Christ that felt like such a long time ago now, practically another lifetime.

“Oh.” The raven murmured rather dumbly at last, nodding and hoping that the girl understood.

The girl was still grinning away at least, so he must have made some kind of sense.

“Miss Ral comes here often, still.” Sasha continued, her voice slowly filtering through Levi's thoughts, dragging him back to the present after the realisation of just how far away the past seemed to him now.

“Oh?” Levi repeated, still coming out of his memories, but listening all the same.

Nodding, the brunette carried on. “She talks about you quite a bit, Sir. Says you don't teach anymore.”

Yet another thing that felt as though it was from another life was Levi’s work, his students and the routine he had had before the chaos had begun.

“I still teach.” The raven corrected, then gave a shrug. “Just not often. I'm on a break.”

“Oh. That would explain why poor Petra seems a little sad to speak of you.” The brunette murmured, pausing to fix her ponytail, tucking in the loose strands of hair that had escaped. “Your whole class misses you, it seems.”

Now that he thought about it, the feeling was mutual. Levi missed his pupils, those driven, hardworking kids who had kept him grounded for so long. They hadn’t even been aware of how important they had been to the raven’s way of life back then, keeping him busy, giving him something to strive for, to be good for.

Keeping him sane until a certain troublesome brat had barged his way into Levi’s life, smashed his routine to pieces like the little shit that he was, only to hand him a new way to live.

“That so?” Levi murmured, his voice quiet, momentarily nostalgic.

The girl nodded in response, hearing her boss ordering someone around out back and hurrying to look busy, rearranging the food on the shelves while she spoke.

“Mmhm.” Sasha nodded, using one hand to slide a menu Levi’s way.

Not because he needed one, just to appease her employer should he decide to poke his head out the door to check on her. Levi seemed to understand well enough and didn’t say anything.

“Petra says you might be taking on an apprentice.” The brunette added, finishing with the shelves to turn her attention back to Levi.

This was news; the raven hadn't heard anything about any apprentice.

His eyebrows rose, communicating his surprise. “Hoh?”

“Yeah, she and Aurou were talking about how you brought another student in to class. They think he's your protégé, Sir.”

Levi’s features shifted into a confused frown, his expression bordering on incredulous.

“Protégé? What?”

What the heck were his students on about? Did they mean Eren? There had been that one time in class…before the dinner with everyone. Oh great.

Rolling his eyes as understanding washed over him like a mocking wave of irony, Levi scoffed. “If they're talking about who I think they're talking about, he's no student of mine.”

Sasha frowned, opening her mouth to protest. “But-”

“He's my boyfriend.” The raven deadpanned, watching, waiting for the girl’s response.

She paused. Blinked. Blinked again.

“You have a boyfriend?” Even as the brunette was speaking, her mouth was shifting into a new grin. Not of mocking, not to tease him, simply from excitement. “Oh, Mr Levi, that's wonderful!”

A little smirk settled across the raven’s lips and he exhaled in amusement through his nose. “It really is.”

Shortly after the girl's excitement, Levi ordered a simple lunch, one of their toasted sandwiches, an apple turnover for dessert and a cappuccino to go with it. He chose to eat in, sitting at a booth by the window.

He didn't start when someone sat across from him, just Sasha holding her own food. Apparently the girl was on break, leaving her friend Connie to take care of the ordering while she ate. Really, though, it seemed more of a poorly disguised excuse to check up on the happenings of the raven's life since they had last crossed paths.

She had never been pushy about details, wasn't being pushy now, and Levi didn't feel like closing off as he may have done before. It was kind of relaxing to let himself talk, to listen to someone else talk. The conversation took up quite a bit more time than the raven had originally intended to spend having lunch.

First, rapid fire twenty questions.

“How has your time off been?”

“Not bad.”

“What do you do instead of teaching?”

“I still teach, just online.” At the girl’s interested expression, he continued. “I make tutorial videos that go through the routines for my students step by step. It's probably better that way, at least now they can access my blog at any time.”

Not all of the talking was directed at Levi and his life. Next, Sasha spoke idly about improvements to the café, new brands of coffee that they were trialling.

“The old machines finally broke a few weeks back.”

“About damned time.” Levi muttered, taking a sip of his beverage. “Those old rust buckets should have been deemed unsafe the day they were made.”

Rickety old things, they had been. Rattling all the time in a way that was most unsettling and always had Levi waiting for the explosion that had to be coming, but didn’t, the only good thing about them was the resulting coffee.

“True, true.” Sasha nodded, wrinkling her nose at the thought of the old technology. “But we have all new machines now. Aren't they beautiful?” The brunette grinned, staring proudly over at the new coffee making machines behind the counter. “So shiny.”

Levi turned in his seat, giving a hum of acknowledgement. “Not bad.”

And then, of course, there were all of the kinds of questions that Levi would expect from a young girl.

Steepling her fingers together in front of her mouth in some shitty impersonation of a shrink, the girl began.

“So what made you decide to be gay?”

“Because the ’d’ is for me?” Levi had muttered around a bit of the turnover, smirking at the face that the brunette made.

Her eyes turned squinty, mouth pressed together in a thin line as though she had just eaten something that tasted far less promising than its aroma had promised. It was enough to make the raven give a snort.

Watching him chuckle, the brown-haired girl couldn’t help but smirk a little. “Wow, you're actually really open with these kinds of things once you get started, aren't you?” Sasha asked, looking at him as though she could hardly believe it even as it was happening.

The raven gave a single chuckle. “Guilty.”

And back to rapid fire Q&A.

“What's it like having a boyfriend?”

“Unbelievable.” Came the deadpan reply.

“What's his name?”

“Eren.”

“What's he like?”

A single-shouldered shrug. “He's a twerp, but I love him.”

Sasha sat back, regarding the raven for a moment. “It's strange to picture it. I wouldn't have picked you as the type.”

Levi laughed at that, just a quiet sound. “The type for what?” He prompted, his smirk a little lop-sided. “Being gay?”

“Well, that too. But I get it.” The girl said, teasing. “I was just thinking that...since you always seemed so solitary, I didn't know if you would find someone.”

And wasn’t that just the truth of it? There had been a while…a long while, in which the raven had thought the very same thing. Levi didn’t like people all that much when it came down to it. They were a hassle, a chore. He didn’t want to get to know someone, to have to take all that time and effort only to have it wasted should things end badly.

“Honestly,” the raven let out a sigh, “I didn't. He found me. Found me and stuck around. Persistent little shit that he is.”

That was probably why he and Eren worked so well together. The boy hadn’t given him a chance to say no, hadn’t given them a chance to take things slow and mess things up. Instead both of them were constantly learning on the go, and before the pair realised it, they had gotten to know each other.

“Sounds like a real sweetheart.” Sasha sent him a smile, cheeky.

“He's an insufferable little shit.”

“But he's your insufferable little shit, right?” The brunette’s smirk turned knowing.

The raven nodded. “Damn right.”

Levi hadn’t meant to linger so long, but it had been pleasant enough to hear the barista chat about how things had been since she had last laid eyes on him. Pleasant, too, to tell her of the progress of his own life. Upon mentioning that he was, in fact, now involved with someone had nearly caused the brunette to explode with excitement and she hadn’t even been deterred by the information that his partner was also male. Refreshing, he supposed, to have such an accepting individual to converse with. A pleasant reminder that not all human beings were awful.

What to do now? All that talking, particularly the part about Petra, had stirred a few guilty feelings within the raven. He was already so close; it was well worth the trouble of going to check up on his colleagues. Adding the new choice as second last on his list, the raven headed to visit his workplace. It felt like an age since the raven had last set foot in Sina Dojo but he had the time today, so why not?

“Good Lord…the prodigal son returns.” Nanaba muttered upon seeing him sauntering in through the foyer, giving a chuckle. “Well, the prodigal tutor, at least. How are you, Levi?”

“Well enough.”

It was the truth. Levi was well enough that he couldn’t complain, but things could be better. Things could always be better.

The raven’s mood improved favourably upon seeing four familiar faces roving into view. He was damned near swept off his feet when they recognised him, picked up and spun around by Aurou of all people, and the others crashed into a group hug. Of course it was awkward as fuck, but nice to know that these kids had grown so attached, so loyal, to their teacher.

They all had news to tell him, excitement and eager babbling crashing overhead like a verbal tidal wave, but Levi picked out relevant information where he could.

Their classes had been going well, if a little strange without him, and all four of his star pupils were regularly visiting his blog to reference parts of their routine in his videos, pouring over the notes and tips that the raven had written there. Levi was a little embarrassed to know that they paid so much attention to his work, but for the most part it was a relief to know that his blog was a successful learning tool.

Petra was preparing for championships, top of their class and feeling confident but very eager to have a one-on-one session with her old teacher. Levi promised that he could meet up this week, promised all of them that he would take a lesson on Wednesday. They deserved a proper workshop after working so diligently. Thursday would mostly likely be free; Levi would give his time solely to Petra to fine tune her technique on that day.

After very little persuasion at all, Levi joined in on his squad's afternoon practice, unbalancing Gunther during warm ups and failing to hide his mischievous smirk, eyes ahead as always. He knew it was unusual for him to be playful, but he hadn't realised just how much he had missed these rascals.

By the time that class was ending it was late afternoon and the raven said his goodbyes at the front steps, rolling his eyes at the overly dramatic farewells he received in return.

“Just don’t forget that we have a workshop scheduled for this Wednesday. If you’re late, I’ll kick your sorry asses.”

“Yes Sir!”

One last ridiculous salute and it was over, the youths laughing and heading off in the opposite direction while Levi lingered still.

There was just one last thing that the raven had planned to do before heading home again and, to get it done, he headed down towards the square where the library was located. As part of one of the inner city campus, the library had internet access that could be used by students and civilians alike, catering mostly to university undergraduates. During most of the day, if you weren’t a student, you had to pay to utilise this benefit. However, it was after five already and the library had a free internet policy from five in the afternoon till eight in the morning.

Sure, Levi could use the internet that he had for his laptop at home, but he was already out and about. Besides, on the off chance that someone stole or hacked his laptop, none of the research he did today would come up.

It wasn’t as if he had some huge secretive operation planned. No, just a simple task. Levi wanted to browse available apartments and houses within the city.

After everything that had happened recently, especially the new threat of Erwin and all his bullshit priest baggage, the raven was beginning to feel as though he was unsafe in his own home. Not just for himself, either, he was worried for Eren.

Erwin knew where he lived and Levi wouldn’t put it past the bastard to try something. The last thing Levi needed was some freaky priest breaking into his apartment in the middle of the night to try and harm his boyfriend. Demon or no, Levi wasn’t about to stand by defenceless when there were countermeasures to be taken.

And so moving house it was. It was a bit of a shame, as Levi had really grown fond of his flat, but it was quite small and Eren would thrive with some extra space. Maybe they could even find a proper house to share, something with a backyard for the brat to lounge about in. It could be nice…peaceful.

And, most importantly, without the threat of creeping ex-boyfriends. Sheesh.

It was quiet enough inside and the raven settled himself down in front of one of the computer screens at the back so that he could see the library entrance and no one would see his screen unless they expressly walked behind him.

Okay, so perhaps he was being a little paranoid, but better to be safe than sorry. Pushing aside the urge to laugh at his own ridiculousness, Levi went about his search.

It took a while, but the raven felt as if he were poking around in the right place. Most of the apartments that he found suitable were a little too pricey for his liking or too far from work. He rather enjoyed the route he had to get to the dojo from his flat.

Houses, too, were expensive but very enticing. It was more frustrating than Levi had ever imagined a simple search would be.

But, at last, he found something so damned close to being perfect that he didn’t even bother looking at how much it would cost him. Two storeys, in a nice enough neighbourhood and not impractically far from everything. It was in a proper neighbourhood; Levi would have actual neighbours if he were to live here. Of course, that presented all new problems when he considered that he would be living with a demon. But, with a little work done, it wouldn’t be impossible for them to live there inconspicuously.

Levi wanted this place, wanted it so badly that he was afraid to look at the price, but eventually he forced his eyes over to the side, taking in the numbers beside the dollar sign. He exhaled…and inhaled again, deeply.

In all actuality…it wasn’t an impossible amount. Sure. It would put a dent in his savings that would make him cringe when the day came to hand over the money, but it wouldn’t leave him broke. The raven had to fight back a smile at the sudden rush of happiness swelling in his chest. This was the place; he had found an actual house to share with Eren. And, hopefully, they could make it into a home. Levi wanted to jump up and run home, embrace Eren and tell him all about it.

Unfortunately the kid wouldn’t be there waiting. It was a bit of a dampener on his good mood, but Levi relished the satisfaction that he had completed his search. Soon, with a little luck, their creepy stalker-Erwin troubles would be over. Not that Eren couldn’t handle the guy, it was just that Levi would prefer not to have a man murdered in the vicinity of where he lived.

Shutting down the desktop computer, the raven rose, straightened his chair and exited the library. His objectives were complete for the day.

The sky was growing dark by now, bringing a chill to the air.

Levi stopped on the stairs outside the library building, paused, bit his lip.

It didn't feel right to head back to the apartment and just...carry on. Levi didn't think he could do it, didn't think that he had the strength to sit about in that flat without Eren and wonder what the poor kid was going through.

He called Hanji, mentioned something about chasing a rat out of his apartment as a lame excuse to bunk at her place for a few nights.

Who knew how long it would be until Eren returned? There was no way of knowing just how quickly time was passing in Hell, no way to discern how long the boy had already spent there. It had been a day for the raven. Just one day. According to past conversations concerning the details of Hell, Eren may already have suffered through more than a day in that terrible place.

Still...for Eren, Hell was home. Surely the boy would be okay? He was tough, in his element, and determined to see his plans through. The boy wouldn't jeopardise his schemes with silly mistakes. He was careful, took preparations, planned.

It would be alright. It had to be.

 

In the end, Levi had to go back to the apartment anyway to pack some things. He took only a single bag, selecting clothes, his laptop and charger, and his toothbrush. Then the raven tried his best not to run down the stairs to get away from the emptiness that he felt standing alone in that flat.

Jesus Christ, it had only been a day. One damned day, for fucks sake, and he was already steadily becoming a wreck. This wasn’t healthy, it couldn’t possibly be healthy, but there was no turning back now.

Levi wouldn’t trade what he had for anything else, because nothing could be an equal trade for what he had. Eren.

The raven walked halfway to Hanji’s, got pissed off at the freezing night air and called a cab. The driver was too talkative, too invested in trying to turn any conversation towards some political bullshit that Levi couldn’t give a single flying fuck about, but he dug his fingers into his knees and bit back his temper.

Exiting the cab was a wondrous mercy; Levi paid the drive and practically scrambled from the car, turning to the familiar house behind him and striding up the driveway.

Three knocks on the door, two at first and then one more because Levi hadn’t liked the sound of the first two raps by themselves.

The empathetic little smile that Hanji gave him when she opened the door, finding her friend without his usual scowl and holding the strap of his duffle bag like it was a lifeline, reminded Levi of their childhood. Back in the days when they were younger and foolish, less wizened by the world.

“Hey, hon.” The brown-haired woman sent him that little smile.

“Eren’s away. Crashing here.”

Levi was taking the first step inside the house even before he had finished speaking. Hanji grinned to herself as the raven barrelled passed her and into the house.

“Come in.” She said to the now empty porch, for the sole reason that it amused her.

There had been a time when Levi had practically lived with Hanji, not officially moving in, he had just appeared on her doorstep after a ludicrous phone call about finding a spider in the house. A poorly executed excuse and half an hour later he had been right there, knocking on her door.

“ _Hey, Levi.”_

“ _Erwin’s gone. Crashing here.”_

A lot like he was now.

It was so very similar to that night, so long ago now, but Hanji remembered it with picture perfect clarity. The stubborn mask that had been Levi’s brave face, eyes red-rimmed but voice as steady as ever. There was that same aura of uncertainty clinging to Levi now, although there were no tears threatening to be shed. His tone was pretty detached though. It had been the same then, the same tone, very nearly the same words even.

Only this time around, there had been life in her friend’s eyes when he came knocking.

Eren was away, Levi had said so already and, while it clearly affected the man, he wasn’t letting it break him. He had faith, hope, that Eren would come back.

That was the reason why Hanji could close the door with a smile, turning to start up conversation already. Levi was letting himself hope again and if that wasn’t a step in the right direction then God help them all.

“Put the kettle on, Levi dear, I feel a tea party coming on.”

“Ugh.” The raven’s voice carried through from the living room. “Shoot me now.”

Hanji let out a wicked cackle. “You love me.”

“You’re so very lucky that’s true.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter made me smile a lot while I was writing it. I don't even know why. Next chapter should (hopefully) get posted next weekend, it's a little on the longer side, so that should hopefully make up for the wait. Thanks to all for reading! You're the best!


	36. A Slip Of The Tongue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post this tomorrow, but it's finished so I thought, why wait?  
> Back in Hell, it's about time we found out how poor Eren is doing. I have a bad feeling that there will be a lot of shouting after this chapter.  
> But, as always, enjoy.  
> *ducks for cover*

“Out in the jungle I've been hunting like a predator. Searching for someone with a taste to feed a love carnivore.” – The Relay Company, Animals.

***

 

Stirring warmth and a familiar scent greeted Eren as he rose sluggishly from his sleep. Still residing by the hearth, by the fire that had been burning there for some days now, the brunette had grown quite used to falling asleep here. He much preferred it to the dungeons, even though he wasn't allowed to venture very far, these past few days spent living in his little world of blankets and warmth.

Waking, now, in the pleasant gloom of the dining hall, Eren stretched. He recognised that something was considerably off, his skin tingling with awareness even as his brain was still clouded with the fog of sleep. Slowly, he put the pieces together. If his skin was tingling, then there was something causing that. Ergo, there was something else in the room with him. Or, more likely, some- _one_.

The boy stretched again, shaking his head to clear it, yawned, looked over to his right–

“ _Jesus fucking Christ, Rivaille!_ ”

Perched atop the nearest table, crouched and silent as death, the black scaled demon sat watching Eren with a terrifying intensity. Not at all a comforting sight first thing in the morning. Eren was sure that if he had a beating heart, it would have surely given out after such a fright.

“Good morning to you too.” Came a low murmuring reply, silver eyes trained casually on claw-tipped fingers. “Gosh, I didn't think I was that frightful to look at.”

The brunette scoffed a little. “Are you kidding me?”

“Ouch.” The raven bristled a little at the insinuation. “Maybe don't insult the being responsible for your good health, hmm?”

It had taken five days in total for Eren to recover. Five days and many vile tasting meals caught and delivered to him by Rivaille. Strange as it was to believe, the boy's mate had gone hunting every day to keep the boy fed.

Still, Rivaille's newest obsession of watching the brunette while he slept, always lingering near, was becoming a little irksome. The stronger Eren became, the more inclined Rivaille seemed to be in keeping an eye on him, just in case the boy should feel the urge to get up and wander. Eren suspected that it was because the raven believed that he would run off again at the first chance he had. Not that the boy didn't want to do exactly that, but he had to make certain that Rivaille could feel secure enough to place at least a little faith in the brunette.

“So how are you feeling?” Rivaille's voice piped up again, a little less surly this time around. “Better now, love?”

Eren did feel better, truth be told. Much better than he had beforehand at any rate. The lingering cold wasn't so easily capable of clinging to him now, thank goodness, but the boy hoped that Rivaille wouldn't send him back to the dank dungeons again. It was strangely pleasant to be able to sleep without being locked up, even if under the strict observation of the raven. Nice, too, to be doted on in such a way by his mate. As much as Eren hated to admit it, the raven's efforts had helped.

The brunette gave a nod, stretching a little to rid his limbs from lingering stiffness. “I feel much less like death walking, so let's call that better, shall we?”

Rivaille smirked a little at that, always pleased by any sort of playfulness displayed by the boy. He watched Eren rolling his shoulders, wincing a little with the movement.

“Still sore?”

A slight scowl twisted the boy's face. “Yes, no thanks to you.”

If Eren had been hoping for anything other than the lazy smile curving the raven's lips, he was sorely disappointed.

The wounds Rivaille had given the boy on his first night back in Hell had healed over, but the nerves still tweaked now and then. The raven had sliced him up pretty damned well, severing nerves and tendons that still felt stiff now. Given a few more days and Eren would be fully recovered, but it didn't stop him from blaming the smaller demon.

The ache in his legs, however, would probably plague him for a while longer. This punishment had been earned two days after arriving in Hell, and it was probably the reason why the raven was keeping such a sharp eye on the boy now.

Rivaille gave a nonchalant little shrug. “I always hold true to my threats, Eren dear. You of all people should know that.”

Of course Eren knew that, but he was an impatient creature at the best of times.

“I only wanted to stretch my legs a bit.” The boy griped, staring moodily at his feet, flexing his toes and wincing at the dull throb it caused throughout his limbs.

Silver eyes narrowed, like the raven was sure that he was being lied to. “You could have done that walking around in here.” He muttered, tossing his head a little and glancing away.

It was always odd seeing Rivaille distressed. For all his terrifying wrath, the raven was rubbish at disguising his feelings sometimes. That in itself seemed ridiculous considering that the demon could hardly say a word about how he felt unless he was talking about pain.

Eren persisted in his complaining. “But I was bored.”

“Brat. I've been bored for months in your absence, yet you don't see me complaining.” Rivaille shot back, rolling his eyes.

His tail twitched irritably, black scales glinting in the light of the fire.

“No, you lash out instead.” The brunette barely resisted rolling his own eyes in response, unable to hold back his accusing words.

They were getting more agitated the longer they tiptoed around each other, trying to hold back angry words, trying to be patient. Trying was hard...it felt pointless.

“I told you not to leave the room. What other meaning could those words have had?”

“I thought you were being bossy, not serious.”

Oh man had Eren learned his lesson there. It had been two days since Eren had returned to Hell. Rivaille had just returned from another hunt, only to find Eren roaming rather close to the front gate just within the castle. The raven had been quick to accuse the boy of attempting to escape, any thoughts of controlling his temper long since forgotten. Naturally, it hadn't ended so well for the brunette. Rivaille had been all too ready to demonstrate why he was the alpha in their relationship and Eren had experienced an all new type of magic.

A paralysing curse the likes of which Eren had never seen before; it hurt like a son of a bitch and rendered him useless from the waist down for a whole day afterwards.

It still hurt, to be honest. While the boy could move again now, his legs and tail ached and the muscles there were still stiff.

“I had only your well-being in mind.” The raven argued profusely, arms moving about in gestures every once in a while. “This is the most easily barricaded room in the entirety of the castle. I told you to stay put because it would mean that you would be safe enough should something attack while I was away.”

Eren sneered at the words, any thought that this maniac would honestly do something out of the goodness of his heart made the boy want to punch something. Did Rivaille even have a heart? If it existed still, it was dead and useless.

No, this monster didn't want Eren to leave. He was suspicious, too possessive of things that didn't want to be his. Rivaille just wanted to see Eren break, of this the boy was certain.

“So you say.” The brunette muttered, glaring bitterly at the floor.

Rivaille glanced over at the boy at the sudden coldness in his tone, arching a brow as if to challenge whatever thoughts were raging about in the brat's head.

“Yes, so I say.” The raven responded, turning his body to properly face the teal-eyed demon. “I don't lie to you, Eren. I _won't_.”

The words were spoken like an oath, a promise, but that only made the brunette's mood worsen. Eren could feel his anger rising, venom building on his tongue ready to lash out with words. He had to force himself to close his eyes, to breathe, knowing that the routine would calm him even if the oxygen was unnecessary.

After a moment, the boy opened his eyes again, keeping his gaze locked on the stone squares of the floor next to him. “And that's supposed to be a relief, is it?” He murmured, voice quiet, incredulous. “You'll beat me and break me, but at least you'll be honest about it?”

“Yes.” The reply came without so much as a beat of hesitation.

So certain, so assured that such a response was the right thing to say. It was as though Rivaille believed that his honesty could make every cruel act of torment seem like nothing.

It was enough to make Eren afraid on a whole new level, confused and scared and not even completely sure why he was feeling this way.

“That's insane.” Eren all but whispered on a shaking exhale.

For a moment the only sound that stirred the air was the noise of the brunette's slightly hysteric breathing, soft, a little higher than normal in pitch.

“Maybe it is.” Rivaille said after a long pause, unable to deny that the boy's words couldn't be entirely discredited.

Incredulous teal orbs flickered over to stare at the raven, wide and disbelieving. “That's it?” He murmured in query, voice trembling a little with some emotion that the raven couldn't identify. “You're just going to accept it?”

“I can't help that,” Rivaille retorted, his voice so close to snapping, but he drew in a hissing breath to calm himself, “all I can do is try.” The raven murmured, finally looking up again and his eyes looked so tired all of a sudden. “I'm trying to be better, don't you see? I'm trying because of you, I try for you.”

Eren wasn't sure what to do with the sudden gnawing guilt that invaded his chest, tightening like a vice around his dormant heart, as though it was trying to eat him alive. He had to look away, couldn't meet those ancient silver orbs anymore or else he may falter.

Rivaille seemed to know it, too.

“Eren?”

The boy winced, ducking his head further and closing his eyes.

“Eren, look at me.”

Quiet, the raven's voice sounded almost gentle. It was hard to keep facing away, made the guilt in his chest feel worse until it was almost painful.

Without lifting his head, the brunette eyes slid over, carefully meeting the raven's gaze. The longing in those eyes was so very unexpected that Eren nearly lost his balance, such an intense expression colouring those familiar features.

“Does that not earn me anything in return?” Rivaille asked, voice quiet, low. “Could you not try as well?”

Swallowing, the boy glanced away once more. “I came back, didn't I?” He offered.

A scoff sounded, the noise making Eren's eye twitch a little.

“True enough.” The raven admitted, his tone dry, moving towards sardonic. “But you're still disobedient. You still act as though you despise me.”

Giving a short, bitter chuckle, Eren tossed his head to look back at the raven. “Have you ever paused to consider that maybe I do despise you?”

Challenge flashed within those silver eyes and for a moment Eren feared that he had gone a little too far. Pushing the boundaries between banter and the complaints that he was allowed, and then blundering over that line altogether.

But then the raven's mouth curved into a wry smirk and he gave a single chuckle. “Heh. Of course.” Rivaille muttered, twisting his hand over to inspect his claws for a moment. “And yet here you are.”

It was an indisputable fact. With all of the vile treatment, the pain, the horrors, Eren always came back. The boy wrote it down as fear, that he was afraid of the consequences that would come about should he deny the raven his wishes. But there had always been...something. He had known it from the very first moment that Rivaille had touched him, from the first press of lips against his skin, the first bite and drawn blood.

No matter how much the brunette might want to deny it...there was a part of him that was connected to the monster sitting across from him. Had been since even before they had known each other, awoken once their forms met.

Rivaille's silence held too much smugness, there was a victorious little glint to those silver eyes as he exhaled. “Maybe next time you won't disobey me when I ask you to do something.”

Seething, Eren felt his hands clench into fists, hands shaking with his anger.

“Bite me.” The boy snapped, eyes widening as he realised he had let his temper get the best of him.

There was the most awful, terrible moment of silence. Nothing moved, neither of them stirred, but Eren could feel the dark anger building in the creature across the room. Close, he was too close, there was barely any chance of escaping at this range.

The brunette didn't dare look up, frozen, rigid even despite the protesting muscles that ached with the need to move. The instinct to run, to flee, was strong, but to run first without provocation would be worse than remaining still.

Glancing over, teal eyes met livid silver, and for a few terrifying seconds time stood still as the two males stared each other down. Nothing moved, only the horribly slow shift of Rivaille's features as his lip curled into a snarl, but no sound came. Muscles shifting into a more prominent crouch, somehow without ever moving his feet or hands, the smaller of the two demons looked every bit like the monster his reputation promised.

And then the still room snapped into life.

Yelping as the raven surged forward in a blurred streak, Eren twisted to scramble away. To no avail, as always the smaller demon was faster. A hand snagged his ankle, dragging the boy back unceremoniously to sprawl the brunette across the raven's lap and flipping him over onto his stomach. Winding an arm under Eren's chest and hiking it up, Rivaille positioned his limb so that the boy's throat rested in the crook of his elbow.

“Really?” The raven's voice was low, Eren could feel it in his skin. “You're honestly going to tempt me now?”

Mocking ran heavy in his tone, the uncomfortable press of a claw at the brunette's nape the only indication of Rivaille's next move. Dragging down, Eren whimpered and went limp, trembling as the tip of the raven's claw caught the material of his shirt and tore. Great, trust Rivaille to destroy his only clothes, the simple shirt splitting against the sharp serrated edge of the underside of his mate's talon.

“Rivaille, I-ack!” Eren choked on his attempt at apologising as the raven's arm flexed, tightening around his throat.

Yanking at his hold of the boy's neck, Rivaille tugged, coaxing the brunette's head backwards a little until his back was nicely arched, hands scrabbling at the floor for purchase. With his free hand, the raven ran a finger down the boy's spine, following the dip in the centre as he hummed low.

“Eren, poor, foolish little fox.” Rivaille murmured, his voice was an odd mix of fondness and mockery.

The raven's fingers came to rest on the last ridge of the boy's spine at the flat plane just above where Eren's back became his ass, hidden beneath his hide trousers. The base of the boy's tail was directly underneath his thumb. No fur, just skin this high up; the tan skin continued at least an inch and a half before it began to gain the soft brown fuzz that covered the rest of Eren's tail.

“Don't you remember what I told you? No promises once you'd recovered?”

Eren whimpered again, feeling the raven's thumb rubbing firm circles around the ridge of bone his hand lingered near.

“You should pay more attention.”

His thumb paused in its rubbing, resting over the bone and pressing down. Down past the point of discomfort. Pushing the pad of his thumb harshly into the skin, Rivaille pulled Eren's head back and held him there ruthlessly while the boy let out a keening cry.

Pushing, pulsing pressure at the base of the brunette's spinal column had the boy crying out, writhing as much as he could, hands clawing desperately at Rivaille's arm where it held him prisoner. The pain tore its way up Eren's spine, liquid agony that had him fighting to wrench free of Rivaille's grip but the raven's hold was too strong. He tried to scream but couldn't get the sound out, barely able to gasp for breath with the way Rivaille's arm pressed against his throat.

The pressure continued, agonising, and Rivaille pressed further, harder, only relenting when he heard a sickening crack. There was a split second in which the brunette froze, shocked into silence before the terrible fire registered.

Rivaille held the boy through his squealing and whining, Eren's spine arched at a horridly beautiful angle as he writhed in agony. Legs sprawled over the raven's lap, useless. The struggling and wailing didn't last nearly as long as the raven had expected, the brunette's high, gasping breaths finally slowing until he went limp as a boned fish. Easing the boy down and out of the painful arched position, the raven let Eren settle over his legs, mouth agape helplessly, his every breath coming out as a whimper, a whine, a wet sob.

Lower backbone fractured, his whole body aching, the boy lay miserable under the raven's attention. Warm wet trailed down his cheeks and Eren breathed in ragged pants, trying not to make any further sounds of complaint as his body adjusted to the pain.

“Shh...” the raven hushed, bending to press his lips to the brunette's nape, “don't cry.”

Eren choked on an angry sound, coughing. “Don't cry? _Don't cry?_ ”

“ _Hush_.” The raven growled, rotating his thumb over the brunette's assaulted spine to punish the boy, the pressure causing the fractures to rub together, bone grinding against bone.

An agonised moan ripped free of the boy's throat as he jerked, stiffening only to discover that going rigid only hurt more, his pained moaning morphing into broken yelps.

“You're voice is so beautiful when you're in pain.” Rivaille murmured like a lover crooning to the object of his affection. “How can you expect me to be able to resist exploiting you like this? You understand, don't you?”

Another shaky, broken sound was all the response he got out of the brunette.

It seemed imperative that the boy understood why he was hurting, why Rivaille treated him as he did.

Beautiful...the kid was simply beautiful, every sound that he made was better than music. If the raven had to choose one sound to hear for the rest of his life, he would gladly watch every instrument in existence burn. Rivaille was certain that he could coax the very same sounds out of Eren through pleasure as he did via pain. He longed to test that, wanted to prove that he could.

The raven paused, letting the brunette have a brake in his torment, and the boy slumped across his lap in a despondent heap, shaking a little. Rivaille didn't know if he would ever get enough of this trembling beauty. Surely Eren understood why he was in pain, understood that Rivaille just wanted to be able to know all of him, more intimately than any other creature. Wanted to know every possible sound that could grace those pink lips, every movement and expression. Only Eren was always trying so hard to hide himself from the raven, to hide his reactions, school his expression. Resorting to such extreme measures as torture seemed to be the only way to get an honest reaction out of the brunette. Surely Eren knew that, right? Surely he didn't blame the raven for his eagerness?

Bending to speak closer to the younger demon's ear, Rivaille murmured. “You're beautiful.”

Eren exhaled at that, the sound almost a laugh if not for the discomfort in his voice.

“You...” the boy paused, seemingly breathless, “you only say that...when you're making me bleed.”

It was impossible for the raven to keep the little sneer from curling his lip at the comment, a flickering desire to punish Eren further for that threatening to take hold. Damn the boy for speaking the truth. The raven traced a finger around the bordering scales that lined the brunette's sides, the vague line where the blue-green scales blended into plain skin. In this form, only half allowing his demonic side through, Eren's body was covered in more skin than scale. It was oddly alluring.

“You're not bleeding now, are you?” Rivaille asked, challenging.

A sound somewhere between a chuckle and a sob made its way past the brunette's lips, the kind of noise that made the raven feel as if the boy couldn't even tell if he was bleeding or not. It was the principle of the matter that had been Eren's point.

His hand bumping the boy's lower back, Rivaille almost gave a start when the brunette jerked again with a startled yelp of protest.

Apologising for the accidental contact, the raven reached up to run a hand through the brunette's hair, stroking through the soft locks a few times to prove his penance.

“Sorry, darling...”

Ducking his head to hide his face in the crook of an arm, Eren let out a shaky groan.

Rivaille took a moment to observe the boy, taking in the smooth skin of his back, the muscles taught from the pain, tensing, trying to relax, only to tense again. Beautiful, his young mate had grown up quite a bit since the last time they'd met. Eren had been a rather gangly thing back then, prone to losing his temper. He still was a little lean, but more filled out than the raven remembered, a little more hardened, his muscles more defined. The boy looked downright edible, all that rich skin and the heady, woodsy scent that was Eren.

The other-worldly scents were slowly fading from the boy, but Rivaille still had to suppress urges to smother any foreign scents with his own, to run his hands over every inch of that flawless skin until Eren knew nothing else but him. It was a primal desire, a need to be close that ached within the raven, through to his very core. Unexplainable, not that he even wanted to have a reason.

No other creature but Rivaille would have the privilege to have Eren like this, so vulnerable and broken open, so willing to be broken. Lying there, the boy did seem so at home in Rivaille's lap. Given some time, Eren might even elect to lay there of his own accord. Should that day ever come, Rivaille wasn't sure if he would be able to stop himself from jumping for joy, no matter how ridiculous such an act might make him look. Appearance and reputation would be nothing in comparison to having his mate want him the same way Rivaille so wanted Eren. Wanted him too much...so much that in his mind only he was worthy of causing the boy to feel...be it pleasure or pain. The right to deliver that belonged solely to Rivaille.

The demon was taken with a sudden urge to mark that skin, to bite and lick and suck, but could he really spoil such perfection? Perhaps, if Eren would allow him the privilege. It was a miracle that the boy couldn't hear what went through Rivaille's head, or he would have a serious advantage over the raven.

A dark bruise was already forming where the bone had been broken, a discolouration of purple and greenish grey already marring the boy's skin. The raven made a disappointed sound, displeased with his own handiwork. No matter how many times they went through this vicious cycle, bruising the poor boy brought hardly any satisfaction, other than the knowledge that it had been him to put those marks there. The bruise reached further than Rivaille had expected, even reaching the skin around the base of Eren's tail.

“Aren't you going to heal, love?” Rivaille asked, his voice gentle as he curled his fingers around the base of the boy's tail, deft digits taking a ginger hold.

Just a gentle grip, barely more than a feather's touch against the skin.

“That depends.” The boy mumbled.

Rather than form a proper question, the raven simply hummed in response. “Hm?”

The brunette didn't look back, didn't move much at all, but his voice was fairly stable when he spoke. “Are you done tormenting me?”

Tormenting...it was a rather delicious word, a rather unkind concept in practice, but Rivaille couldn't deny that he was, in point of fact, tormenting the boy. Of course, it had initially been intended as a punishment, a reprimand for the boy's attitude, but Rivaille had a nasty habit of escalating the situation.

“Not quite, dear.”

Fingers curling into a slightly tighter grip on Eren's tail, the raven-haired demon shifted his free hand to rest at the back of the boy's calf, anticipating at least a little flailing to come.

Tugging Eren's tail up gently so that the flesh curved towards the boy's back, the raven watched the brunette flinch in response as the troubled area was disturbed yet again. Gasping, the boy jerked up onto his hands with the horrid pain that shot through him, back arching a little and sending a tremble rippling through his muscles. Struggling as he did, Eren's arms shook a little with the strain of holding his weight without the use of his legs, laying sprawled and aching out behind him.

Rivaille resisted an urge to shudder at the sight.

A demon's tail was such a vulnerable thing and Eren's reaction to the raven's touch only confirmed how very sensitive his was. Good, Rivaille liked it when his mate was responsive. Pulling the boy's tail up further, the raven watched the muscles contract, forced to shift and stretch against Eren's will even though the bruised flesh ached so very badly.

“Ah, stop, Rivaille...ah...hah.” Eren's voice tapered off into heavy panting for a moment, but a strained whine informed the raven of his mate's pain. “Ow...ow, oh God please, _please_ , let go.”

Delightful. Just one bone fractured and already Eren was begging. Of course, all it took was the right bone to assault. And to think that Rivaille had feared he was losing his touch? The thought seemed ridiculous now. Eren had always proved to be excellent practice for Rivaille's methods of torture, methods which he would perform in earnest upon his enemies. Really, he ought to be thanking the boy for assisting him in such a way. Perhaps, one day, he would thank Eren...would make it up to him in all the best ways.

To be willing to concede so early was worth a reward, but it was a tough call, really. On the one hand, Rivaille had Eren here delightfully vulnerable; it would be so easy to hold him down and have him right there in front of the fire. On the other hand, he wanted the boy to have a least a little trust in him later if they were to ever move past their pain sessions.

The raven finally decided to reward the boy, releasing his tail. Eren let out a relieved whimper and slumped down again, letting the air rush out of his lungs. The boy just lay there for a moment. Still breathing a little unevenly, he turned his head enough to eye the raven.

“Are you finished, Sir?”

A request, a plea to let the pain end and his healing process to begin; Eren's words held so many smaller meanings that the raven deciphered.

Smirking at the formality, Rivaille gave a nod, flicking his fingers up the brunette's spine just to see the boy jolt a little.

“Go ahead,” he conceded, hands stretching out behind him so that he could lean back, “I've had my fun.”

Glaring a little at the raven's idea of fun, the brunette closed his eyes and focused on mending the fractured bones. His brows furrowed in discomfort and Rivaille shifted carefully, distributing his weight on one hand, and held his free hand over the injured area. Even without touching the skin, Rivaille could feel the added heat that resulted from the healing process. Had it been an external wound, there would have been steam as well.

“Look at you...” the raven murmured, fighting back the urge to run his hands over the brunette's back, “you're a living lap warmer.”

He smirked at the soft disgruntled sound that came from the boy.

“A very attractive one, of course.” Rivaille amended, sensing the kid roll his eyes more than he saw it.

It always amazed Rivaille just how versatile his young mate was. Most demons possessed some level of recovery magic, but Eren's was truly impressive. Injuries that should have taken days, if not weeks, to heal could recover in minutes or hours for the brunette. Cuts and abrasions? Easy as breathing. Regrowing fingers? No trouble. Broken bones? Simple. Growing back full limbs? Bitch please, give me a few hours and I'll get right back to you.

“Could I have a minute?” Eren's voice piped up suddenly, only quiet, but enough to rouse the raven from his thoughts.

Of course, after a session like that, the boy would need a little time to himself.

Coaxing the brunette off of his lap without jostling him was a little tricky, but the boy didn't complain if he felt any pain. Rivaille left without a word, heading for the door and disappearing to other parts of the castle.

Alone at last, the brunette let his head drop against his arm, a single sob wracking his form. The rest of the tears were silent, had to be if he didn't want to draw his mate's attention, and the brunette bit his lip hard enough to break the skin as he felt bone knitting itself back together.

Eren tasted blood, watched the steam pass up before his eyes, winced at the tweaking pain as his lip healed over as well.

The boy took a moment to allow himself to focus on the pain he felt; the dull aching in his legs, stronger in his lower back now, and the dreadful sting of his rejuvenating cells. It anchored him, held him there in that room, and while he was focused on the pain he could forget about thinking.

A few hours of this, a few long hours of letting his bones recover, and he would be fine. Right as fucking rain.

 

It took Eren four hours to mend the fracture in his spine, another two to fully mend the torn skin but by this point he was purposefully taking his time. Rivaille had, thus far, respected his wishes of wanting to be alone. The boy could only assume that he would be left in peace until he finished healing.

By the time that footsteps sounded again, the sky outside the windows was slowly beginning to darken.

The fact that Rivaille made any sound at all to alert the brunette to his approach was enough to make Eren a little more comfortable. If he were planning another cruel punishment, he would be one of two things: either completely silent or deliberately meticulous in his approach.

This was casual. It was safe.

Eren watched the door like a hawk until the raven appeared within the frame, head bowed slightly. It took a moment before Rivaille looked up, meeting the boy's gaze, but for once there was no challenge in the silver orbs.

There was a question in those eyes, a query that he wouldn't voice. Eren almost felt as though the raven wanted to ask permission to enter the room, wishing to give the brunette a sense of control, but still fighting his own pride.

After a moment, the raven entered the room anyway. Ducking his head a little in a show of repentance, Rivaille dropped to his hands and knees once he was a few metres away to crawl across the floor to where the boy sat. Eren resided in the midst of the blankets, his heart set on ignoring the raven.

It was difficult, though, when said raven reached the brunette, butting his head against the boy's shoulder gently. The first press of lips against his shoulder startled Eren, but then there came a second peck, then a third and a fourth.

“I'm sorry, baby lamb,” the raven murmured, voice low and soft, warm breath fanning out over the boy's skin and leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake which the smaller demon kissed away, “you know that. You'll forgive me, yes?”

The words were murmured against his skin in between the slow kisses that were trailed from his shoulder, down his arm to just above the elbow and then back up.

“Talk to me, little one.” Rivaille implored, keeping his mouth to the brunette's skin at the crook of his neck. “Won't you speak?”

So close, the raven could feel when the boy swallowed, could feel the muscles of his neck shift a little as the younger demon clenched his jaw stubbornly. Scooting closer, Rivaille curled against the boy's side carefully, keeping his hands on the floor so that Eren would not feel too enclosed. The last thing either of them needed was another excuse to fight.

Letting a weary exhale escape through his nose, the raven nudged the side of Eren's head with his own. “I don't want to cause you pain all the time.”

“You expect me to believe that it's a reflex, then?”

The boy hardly moved, other than opening his mouth to speak. It would have been a lie to say that the brunette's voice hadn't startled the raven a bit, after such diligent silence, but at the same time at least Eren wasn't completely ignoring him now.

Turning his head enough to look at the black-scaled demon, the brunette regarded his mate in silence. His features were carefully blank, even the eyes held no clues as to what the boy was thinking. At least for now, anyway.

Rivaille would need to tread carefully if he ever hoped to get into his mate's good books. It wouldn't be easy, but if he could just keep his temper at bay then they might have a chance at fixing this whole messy excuse of a relationship.

“No...it's just...” Rivaille actually paused, trying to sought out his words. His bow furrowed a little and the raven licked his lips to wet them before speaking again, “it's just that I know pain. I understand it.” He said, pausing again to cut the brunette a quick glance to ensure that he was, in fact, paying attention. Thankfully, Eren's eyes were trained on him, mild curiosity swimming in those magnificent depths. “But being a lover? The kind you want, that you deserve...” Rivaille paused again, his features screwing up in annoyance for a moment before they relaxed and he let out a sigh, “...that's a little beyond me. And I'm not good at all this...this exchanging feelings bullshit.”

A little scoff sounded and Rivaille looked up to see the brunette's features colouring with a little resentment as he regarded the raven.

“Understatement of the century.” The boy muttered, his tone clipped.

A low snarl sounded in Eren's ear as the raven bared his teeth at the boy's comment.

“Fuck you too, you stubborn little shit.” The raven growled, leaning closer almost out of instinct as he growled. “I'm actually trying here, the least you could do is shut your mouth long enough to listen to what I have to say.”

The words hung in the air, heavy, and for a moment it was quiet in the room, silent apart from the dull crackling of the fire.

Biting his lip enough to turn the skin white from the pressure, Eren turned his eyes away. The boy's shoulders were a little hunched, like he was trying not to cringe away from the fuming creature to his left.

Hissing out an irritated breath at his own outburst, Rivaille shook his head. Damn his fucking temper.

“I...” Rivaille started, feeling the words catch in his throat.

What could he say? What could he possibly say to mend any of this? Nothing, he had nothing. Words had never been a strong point for the raven and he doubted that that would change now. But whatever he did...it had to be now.

“...ah, shit, I'm sorry, Eren,” the raven murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, “I didn't mean to blow off at you like that.”

The brunette gave a one-shouldered shrug, looking off to the side a little dejectedly.

It wasn't a good response, not by a long shot, but the raven supposed that it could have been worse. He could have pushed him away.

Taking a slow breath to calm himself, the smaller demon spoke in as gentle a tone as he could manage. “Will you look at me?”

At the boy's continued silence, head still turned away and those brilliant eyes downcast, the raven gave a sigh.

“Hey,” the raven nudged the brunette's shoulder gently, “...hey, come on. Look at me...” Rivaille's hands came up, cupping the boy's face gently and attempting to steer it back around so that he could meet the boy's gaze. Eren resisted a little, flinching at the initial contact, but eventually teal eyes flickered up to look into silver orbs, “this is me apologising.”

Eren swallowed, the action causing his adam's apple to bob once in his throat in a rather distracting fashion. All of a sudden the raven was consumed by a powerful urge to push this beautiful creature down and feverishly have him again and again until they were both too spent to continue. If only Eren would allow him that. If only they weren't too broken for something that intimate.

Something registered in the boy's eyes, almost as though he could read the sudden hunger in the raven's expression, and Eren tossed his head, freeing himself from the smaller demon's grasp.

The action almost stung and Rivaille had to wonder if he truly was so repulsive that the thought of intimacy was so off-putting for the brunette. Eren hadn't shown any overwhelming interest in furthering their bond...but maybe Rivaille could persuade him to change his mind.

Swallowing a little thickly, the raven kept a quiet tone. “I understand if you don't want me to touch you,” he began, murmuring without seeking out the brunette's gaze, “...I've done more than enough to have earned your hate. But, if you'll allow it, I'd like to make it up to you now.”

The brunette was shaking his head, eyes closing despairingly. “You say that now.” Eren murmured, opening his eyes again to stare into the fire. “Tomorrow could be a completely different scenario.”

Turning his body a little so that he could properly look at the raven, Eren looked at Rivaille with such a hopeless expression that the raven was caught with a sudden urge to both run from this room as fast as he could, or draw this poor, despairing creature into his arms and never let go.

Teal eyes hardening suddenly, Eren sat a little bit straighter. “What guarantee do I have that you'll be any different?”

Truly? There was no guarantee. No guarantee at all that Rivaille wouldn't wake up tomorrow in his foulest mood yet. Even the raven couldn't be sure that he would ever be able to keep himself under any sort of control. All he knew was that he would try...for Eren.

“Don't think about tomorrow.” Rivaille murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper as he leaned forward until his nose almost brushed against the brunette's. “Think about right now.”

Teal eyes tried not to follow the raven as he slipped round behind the brunette, fingertips ghosting over the boy's shoulders. It was light enough to make Eren jump a little, twisting to watch the smaller demon. But Rivaille was much closer than he had predicted; Eren turning his head brought their faces barely more than a few centimetres apart. Two hands came up to cradle his head and the boy found himself trapped, gazing into silver pools.

“Eyes forward.” Rivaille said, the order simple, soft spoken. “I won't hurt you.”

Ears pressed back against his head, Eren sent the raven a worried expression. In his mind, turning his back on Rivaille was just about as foolish as turning your back on a rabid wolf.

Sensing his apprehension, the raven leaned a little closer and ducked his head, lips pressing to the boy's shoulder. He paused there before another kiss was pressed to the juncture between Eren's neck and shoulder, then one more just beneath the ear. Rivaille could hear the brunette's breathing grow unsteady, the shaky exhales uncertain, still worried. Moving again, two slow kisses were trailed along the line of the boy's jaw and, finally, the raven pressed a brief, chaste dab to the corner of Eren's mouth. Cautious as he had never been, the smaller demon only held the last peck for a few seconds.

That would have to suffice. Rivaille wouldn't insult the kid by kissing him properly without consent, at least not in such a moment as this.

Edging back, silver eyes met surprised teal. The younger male still wasn't speaking, so Rivaille elected to rest his chin against the boy's shoulder. It at least gave the brunette a little breathing space, but without destroying the intimacy of the moment.

“Come on, just have a little faith in me for once...” the raven coaxed, leaning against the boy's shoulder, “you'll get to relax, I'll call you darling, it'll be nice.”

Watched by eyes too crowded with different emotions for the raven to tell what the brunette was feeling, Eren swallowed once, blinking. Not an overly promising response. The boy wasn't saying yes...but he wasn't saying no either, nor was he leaning away.

And then the kid moved. Rivaille was prepared for the worst, a bad reaction, a fist to the face even. But Eren only leaned forward, slow and careful. The boy pressed his lips to the raven's left cheek, slow and warm, pausing for a moment as he drew back, and then turned to face the front once more. The smaller demon heard the taller give a shaky exhale, anxious, but he wasn't pulling away, wasn't resisting.

Rivaille looked at the kid with wide eyes, still trying to comprehend what he was being allowed.

He had to be certain that he hadn't misunderstood, opening his mouth to speak. “Are you sure you-”

“No, so shut up and do whatever you're going to do before I change my mind.” The boy cut him off, tone sharp.

Eren's voice shook a little, definitely uncertain, but Rivaille couldn't help the little smile that formed on his lips at the kid's stern tone.

Bringing his hands up carefully, the raven laid his palms flat against the boy's shoulder blades. The brunette shifted at the touch, toned muscles moving beneath the tanned skin, so warm against Rivaille's fingers.

Bending to brush his lips over the younger male's nape, the raven gave a soft hum.

“How's your back?” He asked, still testing the waters to see what Eren would allow him.

“Sore.” Came the disgruntled reply.

The raven made an apologetic sound, kissing the brunette's nape.

“I'll be gentle.”

“You'd better.”

“Ooh...” Rivaille managed a grin, flexing as a soft white light filtered over his body for a moment, “giving me orders, now? You've got some bite left in you after all.”

Talons retracting as the light filtered over him, Rivaille shuddered a little as he allowed himself to change form. He figured that Eren would appreciate the effort, and besides it was more comfortable. Tail shifting from black scaled to covered in soft, fine black fuzz, the raven curled the appendage about Eren's waist.

He heard the boy inhale, just a quiet sound, but presumably surprised also.

Clearly not expecting such an action from the raven, Eren stammered. “Y-You don't have to change just because I'm-”

“Shh...” Rivaille hushed him, shifting so that his tail had a firm but gentle hold around the boy's hips, the downy fuzz of the tail's tip tickling the younger demon's belly, “there are a lot of things I'd do for you, little lamb,” the raven purred, “...if you'd let me.”

There was a pause, a slight trembling to the brunette's muscles, but then he stiffened a little.

“Just get on with it.” Eren muttered, keeping a cold tone as he sat, rigid and straight.

A little huff of laughter escaped the raven's lips, the warm air from it washing over the boy's skin. Rivaille couldn't help but be amused by the brunette's resistance.

“As you wish,” the raven pause, pressed a kiss to the ridge of Eren's spine just below the nape, “my darling.”

An involuntary shiver ran through the boy against his will and Eren hated it, hated that his body could so easily be swayed to respond to the warm hands roaming his skin.

“Don't call me that.” He managed to get out, mind warring against giving in even as his body succumbed.

“But it suits you.”

Biting his tongue, the brunette elected to remain quiet instead. He knew that Rivaille was teasing him, even if only a little, but he didn't want a bar of it. Eren didn't want the nicknames, or the implied level of intimacy that went with such titles. He didn't want to have room for confusion, didn't want to feel anything for this creature except for fear. He couldn't escape the bone deep bond that he and the raven shared, didn't understand it, didn't want to understand it. He could deal with something that was beyond his control. But this? This closeness, the banter...he could say no, he could turn around and fight back, tooth and claw, until one or both of them were nothing but bloody messes sprawled on the floor.

But there was another part of him, a more primal part, that just wanted to lay down and lick his wounds. He wanted to curl up next to his mate and just...be.

“Not in a talkative mood, dear?” Rivaille's voice stirred again as the raven paused in his ministrations, hands at the boy's hips rubbing gently.

Silence was all the answer that the raven would get for now.

A chuckle. “Alright then. Deny me my music if you wish, just know that I'll work twice as hard for it.”

Eren sighed, his jaw set stubbornly as he sat still while Rivaille curled against his back, licking at his nape, out along his left shoulder. Tongue warm and surprisingly gentle, Eren couldn't help but feel as though the raven was being affectionate, rather like a feline grooming a dog after a spat.

Curled so close, Rivaille rejoiced in every little brush of their skin. One day he should like to wake up after a night sleeping curled up with his young mate, stirring from sleep to discover their scents mingled together, the only thing invading their senses, warm and heady and inseparable. That would be true bliss...and something so very worth waiting for. It may take a while to get to that point, but Rivaille was feeling more determined than he had in a long while. Running his tongue along the plane of one shoulder blade, the raven was happy for now to just wash away some of the other scents that still lingered on the boy's skin.

Before him, Eren shivered.

It was weird, having Rivaille licking up his neck, nuzzling the short strands of hair at his nape. A hand at his right hip, keeping a hold of Eren, while the raven's free hand slid up the boy's side, trailing over his ribs and along his back and shoulder, pressing into the hot skin until it reached the brunette's hair. Stroking, carding his fingers through the soft locks and tugging every so often, the raven damn near purred as he lapped attentively at Eren's skin.

Grooming him, Rivaille was honestly grooming him.

The boy shifted a little, squirming. “Are you feeling okay?” He had to enquire, tilting his head a little to glance back.

“Mmhm.” Rivaille replied with little more than a hum, his mouth still glued halfway down Eren's right shoulder blade.

“...okay then.”

The raven paused to smirk, lifting his head back up to murmur in the boy's ear. “If you'd rather me use teeth..?”

Eren swallowed, drawing in a sharp breath when he felt his mate's teeth gently nipping at the shell of his ear. “No thank you, this is fine.”

Rivaille only chuckled, his lips pressed to the boy's skin at the juncture where neck and shoulder met.

Sliding back, the raven couldn't help but nip once at Eren's nape, gentle so as not to draw blood, but not so gentle as not to cause a tiny lick of pain. Startled, the brunette gave a little cry and jerked forward, scrambling to catch himself on his hands before he could fall face first into the floor.

The raven clicked his tongue, chastising the brunette even as he moved forward with him.

“Don't be like that.” He murmured into Eren's ear when the boy tried to move away, jerking when Rivaille's front pressed flush with the brunette's back. “Behave for me.”

Too close, suddenly the room felt small and Eren could feel the heat radiating off of the raven behind him. Clothed or not, Rivaille's body heat was not helping the brunette to feel any less flustered, resting on his hands and knees with Rivaille pressed up against him so.

“I-I don't know about this.” The boy stammered, shaking his head uncertainly.

“Shh...” the raven hushed him, “what's wrong with this?”

“Too close.” Eren tried to squirm, feeling the smaller demon's arms brush against his own like a living cage.

Rivaille was too lost to the taste of the boy beneath him, the delicious smell of him, to worry about not trapping him.

“I think it's perfect.” The raven replied, voice near crooning as his head swayed, eyes closed and lips parted.

“Rivaille-”

Silver eyes opened and just for a moment Rivaille was still. “I won't try anything. Not tonight.”

A pause.

“You promise?”

“I promise. Unless you ask, I won't take this any further.”

Lips surprisingly soft as they trailed down his spine, Eren tried not to shiver at the attention. Rivaille wanted to bite, to suck dark marks into the beautiful skin beneath his lips, but he knew that the brunette was still sore. So he resisted, only pecked, allowing himself a lick here and there, relishing the vaguely salty tang of warm skin. When the raven reached the base of the boy's spine, his mouth felt like nothing more than a feather for all the pressure he applied.

Slipping a hand under the boy to support some of the younger demon's weight, Rivaille pressed his arm to Eren's abdomen. The hold was firm, but gentle enough that the boy wouldn't feel trapped by the embrace.

Careful, so careful still even as he was lost to this slow sensation. Eren could hardly bare it.

A traitorous moan slipped by the brunette's defences and he stiffened in Rivaille's arms. He hadn't meant to make the sound, hadn't meant for things to get this far at all, but damn it, he felt so drawn to this...this closeness.

The raven tensed, hissing out a breath suddenly as if he were in pain.

“...best not make too many sounds like that, my love,” the smaller demon murmured, nipping once, twice, up the boy's back, sliding up to rasp in the brunette's ear, “or I might have to break my promise.”

“S-Sorry.” The boy stuttered a little, sucking in a hasty breath when Rivaille's arm tightened around him.

“Don't apologise.” The raven murmured, voice low and hot in Eren's ear. “You never have to apologise for letting your body sing to me.”

Shifting closer, the boy was caught between jerking forwards or backwards when he felt a sudden hardness held against him, pressing against his rear from between the raven's legs.

Gasping a little, Eren choked on another traitorous sound that threatened to break past his defences. All this closeness, the feeling of Rivaille's hands on his skin shouldn't have felt so right, so much like home. But this was what having a mate was supposed to be all about. The slow and sensual side of it anyway, whenever a pair weren't trying to rip each other's heads off. It wasn't perfect, it would never be perfect, but this potential for such passion had not presented itself until now...and with the way Rivaille was struggling not to grind against Eren, the brunette wasn't sure if he wanted to embrace this passion or flee from it.

“Stop,” he gasped, legs shaking a little, hips shifting desperately, unsure if they wanted to get away or get closer to the pressing heat of the raven's arousal, “we should stop.”

“Hn?” Rivaille made a low sound, groaned, and still managed to have it sound like a question.

“Or else...” the boy panted unsteadily, turning his head a little, “I might have to ask you to break your promise.”

He felt shame wash over him, humiliated, but the slow burn of desire resided within him also. This had to stop, now, before the situation got any further out of hand.

But his mate didn't mock him...didn't seem to think Eren a shameful creature. Instead he held him tighter, mouthing more intently at the brunette's heated skin.

“It's okay, little one,” Rivaille murmured, although his voice didn't sound so steady all of a sudden, “you can ask...if you want to.”

Eren's arms almost gave out underneath him when Rivaille's arm, the one curled beneath his stomach, shifted lower, fingers trailing over the boy's clothed groin to cup at his semi-erect cock, long fingers fondling gently.

“Enough.” Eren gasped, pleaded, hanging his head. “No more, please.”

“That so, dear?” Rivaille murmured, voice quiet as he listened to the boy's whimpered litany of 'no more'. “Very well.”

And just like that, Eren was free from the trapping arm, the hot, wet kisses. Rivaille released him, scooting back enough to adjust his own forming erection, hissing a little as he squeezed himself through the leather of his pants.

“A shame, that.” The raven uttered, flopping backwards onto the pile of cushions with a little wistful sigh. “Maybe next time, huh, brat?”

The raven was still breathing heavily, eyes closing for a moment as he fought back the instincts telling him to claim the boy, to push his young mate to the floor and take him. It wasn't easy, especially since their pair had never bonded through skin and passion before, but Rivaille forced himself to be still, hands curled into fists, until he could breathe again.

A soft sound came from the brunette and the raven's eyes opened to look for him. The boy hadn't moved, still sitting a little ways from where the smaller demon lay, but the brunette looked upset.

“I...I'm sorry, I...” Eren's head was in his hands, the boy couldn't seem to find the words he wanted to say.

Silver eyes gazed over inquisitively, thin lips pressed into a determined line. And then Rivaille was pushing up, moving closer.

“Hey, hush now, little one.” The smaller demon crooned gently, stretching to trail a few lazy licks along the brunette's neck to soothe. “We'll get there eventually.”

The boy didn't say anything to that and after a long moment of quiet, Rivaille sighed.

“Would you...” he paused, choosing different words after a moment's thought, “I mean, would it bother you if I joined you here tonight?” He enquired, waiting for Eren to look at him. “Just to sleep, of course.”

The amount of distrust in those teal eyes seemed less than it had before. That counted as a personal triumph in the raven's eyes, but he waited for the boy to speak before any assumptions would be made.

“Only to sleep?” The brunette enquired, just to be certain.

Rivaille gave a small smile, leaning forward until his mouth was right by Eren's ear. He turned his head to kiss the shell of the boy's ear before replying.

“I give you my word.”

And just as casually, the raven leaned back. It seemed simple enough and after a moment the pair were arranging the blankets beneath them, straightening them after the events of the day. Cushions were arranged, the fire was checked and soon the two males were ready to sleep.

Rivaille slumped over to one side, flopping to the ground next to where the brunette knelt and rolling onto his side like a lazy cat, arms sprawled above his head and silver eyes looking up at Eren expectantly.

At the boy's hesitation, the raven pouted, stretching with a little grunt.

“Oh come on, Eren,” Rivaille whined as he relaxed out of his stretch, pawing at the brunette's leg, “embrace me.”

Pulling an uncertain face, the brunette hesitated, hovering half over the raven. Silver eyes appraised him, weighed the hesitation in the boy's eyes, his stance.

He was sleepy...and it would be so nice to doze for a while nestled against his mate.

Throwing caution to the wind, the boy ducked down and nuzzled the side of the raven's face with his own, pressing a few, nipping kisses along the smaller male's jaw while he arranged himself. Rivaille was in a good mood, Eren may never get a chance like this again for a hundred years.

Laying down, the boy nestled his back against Rivaille's side. He didn't flinch when the raven stirred, rolling onto his side to scoot closer to Eren. He didn't protest when the raven's arms slid cautiously about his middle, tugging the brunette back until the two were flush together. It was nice to be so close, so warm. The coals of the fire were warm against Eren's front and Rivaille's warmth was pressed snugly against his back.

Alarming as the realisation was...it felt like home.

Eyes slipping closed, the brunette allowed himself to sigh, to relax into the embrace of his mate. It probably wouldn't last until morning, but for now...this was acceptable.

“Goodnight, Eren.” The raven-haired demon murmured against the boy's nape.

Nestling back into his warmth, the boy made a sleepy sound. “Goodnight, Levi.”

A pause hovered heavy in the air, but for the life of him Eren couldn't figure out why the silence felt so stifling all of a sudden.

“Who's Levi?”

Teal eyes flashed open.

The fire turned to ice.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOOM cliff-hanger. O_O  
> *hides under cushion*  
> Y'all tell me when it's safe to come out again, kay?


	37. The Other Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this chapter got loooong. O_O I originally cut this from the previous chapter, cos that one was getting too long and then cliff-hanger, of course. But now this one is stupidly long too. Sorry about that, I couldn't find anywhere to cut back on this. Hopefully it's not too much.  
> Anyway, here it is. What will happen after Eren's colossal slip-up? How much does Rivaille discover? Read on and find out.  
> Enjoy!

“My human skin is disappearing now, it's shed away. The inner animal inside of me is taking shape.” – The Relay Company, Animals.

***

 

Cold. The room went from warm to freezing in a moment, little frozen trails snaking their way up the walls. An icy hand curled around the brunette's wrist, talons reappearing from beneath the skin as a snarl sounded, low and deadly. Pinned, the brunette didn't dare to move, didn't dare to breathe or even blink as he waited for the inevitable storm.

Pain would follow, it always did, although the younger male wasn't so sure that he would make it out alive this time. If he had just been more cautious, if he had not fallen right into the trap of Rivaille's affection. It was too good to be true and now Eren had spoiled everything.

It took a moment for the boy to realise that they had not moved. He felt no pain, other than the discomfort of the claws pressed against his wrist. The more he paid attention, the more he realised that he wasn't pinned...it was only Rivaille's hands keeping a hold of him, and a weak hold at that.

_What the fuck is happening?_

Shaky breaths fell against Eren's ear, uneven enough to prompt the boy to twist his neck around enough to look at the raven.

The expression on the smaller demon's face rocked him to his core. There was no anger, no burning hatred like the boy had expected. No jealousy, no lingering desire to hurt or maim. Only one thing twisted the raven's face and swam in those silver eyes.

Agony. It looked like someone had pushed a blade straight through his chest and obliterated the cold shards of his dead heart. Frozen, but not, as he took in shallow breaths as though it were his mind pulling forth the most basic defence, to breathe and calm himself down. The air that escaped his lungs was frosted, chilling the boy's skin as he lay there, confused.

“Rivaille..?”

The body before him went rigid and silver eyes slid over ever so slowly to look at him.

And then the anger followed. Slow pin-points of red began to glow in silver orbs, the pupils dilating as the raven's voice dropped, low and dangerous, but the pull of his brows betrayed the demon's pain.

“Eren...who is it that you call for?” Rivaille growled, properly pinning the brunette to the floor with his body above him, wrists held together in one hand, the other clutching the boy's chin to keep him from turning away. “Who is this Levi?”

Teal eyes flared with panic, wanting to look away but locked with fiery red. It would be stupid to lie, but maybe he could play it off? Maybe there was a way out of this?

“L-Levi?” The boy questioned, feeling his voice shake. “What do you mean-?”

A feral snarl ripped from the raven's throat and he slammed the brunette's head against the ground, hissing out his words in the boy's ear. “Don't you spin any lies with me, you wretch! Don't even _think_ you can!”

Eren whimpered piteously but didn't struggle in the raven's grip. “I-It was an honest mistake-”

“A mistake, yes,” Rivaille cut him off, his voice barely more than a rasping snarl, “and a grievous one at that. Has someone turned your head, little fox?” The raven leaned closer, inhaling the boy's scent where it was strongest at his pulse point, flicking his tongue out to graze the brunette's throat. He gave a miserable sounding groan, the noise catching in his throat.

The taste of his skin; Rivaille should have known. He should have recognised the difference, should have detected the scent of another beneath the boy's enticing sweetness. But the raven had just been so pleased to see his young mate again, so eager to be close, that he had not seen.

Someone had been with Eren, had been able to be near his mate, seeing Eren, touching Eren, _his_ Eren. Unacceptable.

Head snapping back towards the boy, Rivaille ducked to growl in the brunette's ear.

“Who has been courting you?”

Eren made a startled sound as he was yanked back and flipped onto his back, pinned again before he could blink. Right there so close already, the black-scaled demon hovered above him, pupils blown so wide that his eyes were almost completely black.

“Rivaille, please-”

The brunette's words cut off in a startled 'eep' as Rivaille lunged forth into a kiss, harsh, biting, the sting of broken skin, the salt and rust tang of blood mixing in their mouths. Rivaille's hands gripped at the boy's flesh, claws digging in just enough to sting before the raven wrenched his head back, stifling a groan.

It was harder than it should have been to keep himself grounded, to keep his hands on the floor and not on the boy near him. Rivaille felt those ancient instincts rising up again, heady and urgent but tainted with his anger.

Bite. Taste. Claim. _Claim_. _CLAIM!_

The raven's hands clawed at the floor beneath him, talons digging in against the stone and grating harshly. This was not the time, he had to fight back those urges. Right now...there was still confusion, still questions hanging heavy in their air. And Eren _would_ answer them whether he wanted to or not.

Breathing a little harder than normal, the raven held the brunette's gaze for a moment, running his tongue over his lips to catch the stray red still staining them.

Silver eyes narrowed, but not in suspicion. There was accusation in those eyes; Rivaille knew something.

Eren watched the raven try to speak, a harsh sound that was barely human half-escaping instead. Jaws snapping shut, Rivaille had to look away. It was a long moment before the raven tried again and his eyes had switched from red-tinted to silver several times before the demon's voice sounded.

“You _are_ different.” Rivaille stated.

He seemed calmer now, if only a little. The raven's breathing was still not even and his hands kept tensing on the floor, but he pushed up then, leaning in closer.

Eren held absolutely still, fighting back the instinct to run, cringing while his mate sniffed at his neck.

Silver eyes narrowed and Rivaille struggled not to bare his teeth.

“You've got a different scent to you.” The smaller demon uttered.

A low growling purr sounded in the back of the raven's throat, an oddly possessive sound as he curled closer, shifting a leg over the boy's waist to help keep him still.

Eren tried not to squirm but he was breathing a little erratically in his panic. “I told you, I was in-”

“The living realm, I know.” Rivaille snapped, cutting him off irritably. He was in no mood for tiptoeing around the subject. “But that's not what I mean.” The raven regarded the boy dubiously and not without an ounce of suspicion. “You were like a fucking flower last I saw you, a mouse, delicate. Now you push back.”

The raven paused when he noticed the brunette swallow, shifting beneath him. That was the face of a guilty man and, as much as Rivaille would have liked to kid himself and pretend that Eren had been spoiled against his will, there was no denying the guilt lying plain as day in the boy's features. Eren couldn't even look at the raven.

It was enough to stir a dull ache in the smaller demon's chest. He had waited for such a very long time to find his mate, had been overjoyed when Eren had unwittingly stumbled upon his that fateful day by the catacombs. Sure, maybe the raven's way of showing that happiness had been to put the brunette through a shit load of unpleasantness, but that's just who Rivaille was. The punisher, the breaker. There was a reason that other demons feared him, and he had earned his reputation time and time again.

And now, when the raven had only just decided to try for his mate, to strive for him, he discovered that even his beautiful Eren was not flawless.

The sting of betrayal etched itself on Rivaille's skin, horrid and enough to make him want to scream, to beat and break and lay waste to a thousand villages.

But he had made his promise, had chosen his road, and the raven would be damned if he let this be the moment that pushed Eren away from him for good. Questions...there were still more questions that he wanted answered.

Leaning down until their faces were less than a centimetre apart, the raven paused. It was so close, close enough for Rivaille to feel the warmth from the boy's lips, to feel his own body yearning for the skin and heat before him. But he denied that yearning.

It was a whisper of a voice that reached the boy's ears at last, “...have you been having fun without me?”

The brunette paled.

Rivaille knew. Oh God, he knew. Not every detail, definitely not the important ones, but just the fact that Eren had been tainted by another creature had Rivaille's eyes ablaze with jealousy.

Jealousy, at last the emotions came pouring in. Envy, anger, that slow, burning rage, all of it darted about behind silver orbs.

“I-I...” Shivering a little under the raven's stare, Eren wracked his brain for some kind of explanation.

“You've been taken.”

It wasn't a question. Silver eyes lost their shine and the slow red began to take over as a low growl stirred in the raven's throat, deep and menacing. The sound had the hairs standing up on the back of the brunette's neck.

Rivaille lurched forward, slamming the boy's shoulders against the floor. “Who was it, Eren? Who spoiled you?” He demanded, hands shaking a little with the effort not to grip the boy too hard. Mustn't hurt Eren, not yet at least. Scarlet eyes flashed. “I'll make them pay.”

“It isn't like that!” Eren cried out, desperate to at least have the raven understand.

“Oh?” Rivaille snarled, baring his teeth at the brunette. “So you went to them willingly, did you?”

The boy faltered, breath catching in his throat. “I...”

Eren paused. That wasn't the case, in fact there was a whole fucked up story to prove that Eren hadn't planned any of this. Accidents were bound to happen, but the brunette doubted that even the fabled God that the mortals raved about could not have dreamed up such a horrid coincidence as this.

Teal eyes fixed on the black-scaled demon before him, lost and questioning, and he couldn't find a single word to say.

And then Rivaille was hissing out a sigh and ducking his head, his forehead resting against the brunette's chest. The harsh grip on his wrists and hip slackened, the pale hands slipping away to brace the raven's weight on the floor either side of the brunette's shoulders. For moment there were no words, no anger, no pain. Just Rivaille's quiet, uneven breathing falling warm on Eren's skin, the icy frost gone.

“Am I not enough for you?” The raven murmured at last, his tone thoroughly discouraged as he shook his head to himself. “Do I repulse you so much that you must seek gratification elsewhere?”

The words shocked the brunette, stunned him further into silence. What could he say to that that Rivaille would even believe? Something ached in the boy's chest and he reached out a hand, pausing just before reaching the raven's head.

“...Rivaille...” Eren's voice was quiet, barely a murmur.

There was a tightness in the brunette's chest that Eren could explain. Rivaille terrified him, annoyed him to no end, and yet still the boy ached to see his mate in pain. He wanted to touch him, to comfort this miserable creature, but he hesitated. Too long, in fact, as the raven was speaking again.

“I don't understand.” Rivaille began, lifting his head and eyeing the boy's outstretched hand with an almost longing expression. But then his features twisted with a sneer and he pushed back, half straddling the brunette's waist. “What could this...this filthy wretch have that I cannot provide for you?”

Silver eyes snapped up to meet wary teal and Eren couldn't help but feel as though he owed Rivaille an explanation. But just how the raven would swallow the story was an unknown factor. But the smaller demon was waiting, albeit impatiently, for the boy to speak.

Taking a breath, Eren began. “Listen, please, I can explain.”

“Oh, by all means. Explain away, _my dear_.” Rivaille growled, cold eyes flashing as he leered forward menacingly. “Make it good and I might just let you get away with your limbs intact.”

The boy swallowed, making a distressed sound and attempting to scurry back a little ways only to find himself pinned by a sudden tight grip. Wrists pinned high above his head, Rivaille's free hand dug into the softer skin of Eren's side.

“O-Ouch. Rivaille, please-”

“Hush. No more talking,” the raven snapped, leaning in low and snarling, teeth bared in a show of dominance, of threat, “unless you wish to tell me the whereabouts of your would-be lover?”

Choking on a panicked noise, Eren tried to sit up, instantly finding himself shoved down again without apology. Rivaille was having none of his disobedience, not tonight.

“Please, don't hurt him.” The boy implored, teal eyes pleading as he tugged gently at the restraining grip binding his wrists together, testing the raven's hold.

It didn't so much as budge.

“Him?” Rivaille questioned, arching an eyebrow. It could have been incredulous...but no, the raven looked relieved. “Well at least I know that it's not a question of your sexual orientation that's keeping you at bay.” He said and Eren understood.

So there were some things that worried the terrible Rivaille after all? Namely, the fear that Eren may not even be attracted to him and was, in fact, seeking a female. But that fear no longer resided within him.

Grip tightening, the raven tilted his head just so, locking onto teal eyes. “Where is he?”

It wasn't a good sign, Rivaille wanting to know the whereabouts of his rival. The challenge was clear in the raven's eyes, the need to hunt down this threat to his mate and deal with it. Or, more likely, eliminate it.

_Levi. No._

“Let me explain.” Eren implored.

“I'm waiting.”

“Promise that you'll let him be.”

A humourless chuckle sounded from the raven. “No can do, sweetheart. There can be only one demon for you and it _will_ be me.” He said it like a promise, like a vow to last through the ages...but also like a threat as he leaned in to hover close to the boy's face. “Consider your pathetic beau as good as dead. When I find him, I'm going to rip off his filthy head. But not before I pay him back in kind for every ounce of pain he has caused me tonight. No doubt you'll be able to hear his screams _no matter how far you run._ ”

“N-No!” Eren cried, his voice rising in tone as his panic grew. “It's not another demon!”

Rivaille paused, silver eyes narrowing at first in suspicion...until he took in the look in Eren's eyes and realised that the brat wasn't lying to him.

“Hah?” The raven made an incredulous sound, rocking back a little ways and frowning. His grip let up a little. “Then who has spoiled you?”

Quiet filled the room as Eren took a deep breath, inhale, exhale, inhale again, and calmed himself as much as he could manage. This was it, he had to tell Rivaille...he could do this. He could, in fact he had to.

Biting his lip a little anxiously, the brunette swallowed, “...it was a human.”

The moment had arrived and passed, the words were out and Eren watched Rivaille intently for his reaction.

Silence blanketed itself over the pair for a moment as the raven just stared at the boy. Eren didn't move, didn't breathe as he waited, watching the shift of Rivaille's features as his angry expression faded into blankness.

From the look in his eyes, Rivaille didn't believe it. Or at least...he didn't want to believe it.

Suddenly, he threw his head back and a peal of laughter escaped his lips.

Eren's eyebrows shot up.

_What the heck?_

It was the most shocking thing that the brunette had ever heard come from the raven, the steady build up of laughter from amusement to a winded, gasping, slapping the floor with his hand kind of cackling.

Teal eyes followed the black-scaled demon as he collapsed onto his side, gasping in air and trying so hard to control himself, to stop laughing, but apparently the joke was too good.

“A-A human?” Rivaille managed to get out, breaking off into another howl of laughter.

In all honesty, the display was rather frightening. Eren wasn't sure what to make of such a reaction. Should he be relieved that the news was being taken so well? Or perhaps irritated that he was being made fun of? Or even afraid that, just maybe, this was only a veil of amusement to cover the raven's true feelings on the matter?

At last the giggles began to die down and Rivaille drew in several breaths to calm himself, still grinning away.

So the scent he could detect on Eren, the one that had spoiled his mate, was human? How could he have missed that? Naturally, in the heat and anger of the moment, Rivaille had merely assumed that if Eren was going to seek satisfaction elsewhere then he would seek it among his own kind.

But that was not the case.

Rivaille should have realised that the human scent he could smell on the boy was stronger than it should have been. But no, he just had to go and believe that Eren had only been in the living world to feed. It was only normal for their kind to pick up some traces of mortal scent during a hunt, and therefore Rivaille had not questioned it. Had not even thought of such a thing. Hunting might have explained the stronger than usual smell of mortal lingering on his skin, it had been enough for Rivaille to buy it at first, but the pieces were falling together now and landing in their place. Only, the raven-haired demon did not like the picture that was forming. Amusement aside, there was a possessive anger building within the older demon, something ancient; it seemed to hum inside his very bones.

And yet he could not stop smiling.

“Ah...poor, poor, precious Eren.” The raven shook his head, feeling another bout of giggles building in his chest. “You lay with a human? Are you kidding me?” He cackled wickedly, the sound echoing off of the walls. Glancing back at the boy, he sent him a gleeful smirk. “Might I be permitted to see?”

Eren's eyes widened in surprise.

The implication was unexpected; that Rivaille should even wish to know of his exploits with another creature had not even crossed the boy's mind. The boy's lip curled a little as Eren, unable to disguise his disgust, sneered at the thought. What a twisted request.

“Come on now, dear,” the raven pressed on, ignoring the hostile display he was receiving, “let me see what you've been up to these past months.”

Truly, Rivaille felt his initial anger mingling with curiosity. There had been thoughts of taking Eren before this, although not much drive to get the task done. But Rivaille had often wondered...what would it be like. The night wraith was no stranger to sex, but would it be different with his fated one? What would Eren be like? What kind of expressions could he twist that pretty face to make with his touch? What sounds would leave those pink lips?

Perhaps it would not be the same to see it from another's actions, but the raven wished to know all the same. Maybe this was a good thing, after all? Maybe his young mate was learning.

Eren blanched at the thought of sharing such memories of his time with Levi with this fiend. He shook his head.

“It's private.” The boy said, hoping that his stern tone would get the message across.

It was a foolish hope.

The raven only scoffed at him, rolling into a crouch. “Private?” Another scathing sound as the black-scaled creature leaned forward to crawl closer. “I'm pretty sure that, as your mate, your sex life concerns me. Ergo, not private.”

Rivaille paused at the derisive noise that Eren made suddenly, regarding the boy with curious silver eyes.

The brunette was shaking his head. “Please, don't make me laugh.” He began, scowling over at his mate. “How many times have you fucked another creature before we met? Even after?” Those teal eyes glimmered with anger, with more than a little judgement as they stared the raven down. “I'm not a fool, I know that your 'supposed' celibacy only began recently.”

Of all the things to do, the raven chuckled. It was a stupidly playful sound, the kind of noise that a guilty person might make instead of saying 'busted'.

“Well, I had to make sure that I hadn't lost my touch.” Rivaille said in response, smirking over at the incredulous brunette.

And that was the truth of it. While the raven-haired demon had fooled around plenty, he never sought more than relief from the dullness of this morbid world in which he was trapped. But for true satisfaction, there would only ever be Eren.

If only the boy could believe that. If only he would put that kind of faith in his mate.

“That's your excuse?” Eren asked, disbelief clear in his tone. “Really?”

A shrug. “Yep.” The raven replied, letting the 'p' sound pop at the end of the word.

It was enough to make Eren's eye twitch in annoyance. Even when revealed as unfaithful, Rivaille remained so casual, calm and still cheeky. It was just about driving the brunette up the wall.

The boy scoffed at the raven's antics. “Unbelievable.”

“At least I've never slept with a mortal.” The raven retorted, his sneer morphing into a little, sly smile. “Silly brat...didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with your food?”

There were a lot of things wrong with that question. First and foremost was the mistake of believing that Eren even saw Levi as food anymore, which he did not. Second, and possibly worse for Rivaille's future, the mention of Eren's mother.

The brunette's eyes darkened at the comment and a low growl sounded in the boy's throat. It was a touchy subject, something that usually ended up with someone dead.

From where he crouched a short distance away, Rivaille sent the boy a lazy smile, unfazed. “Hmm...no, I suppose she wouldn't have had the chance,” he paused, silver eyes roaming over the boy's features as they twisted with anger, with pain at memories resurfaced, “not with your father's appetite. And you say _I'm_ insatiable?” The raven gave a scoff.

Eren's hands curled into slow fists, his arms shaking a little with the effort it took not to lunge at the raven.

“You're changing the subject.” The boy muttered, clenching his jaw.

Another low chuckle sounded, this one with a little challenge underneath the amusement. “Am I? Momma's boy?”

Something snapped within Eren then. It was clear in the flare of fire in his eyes, the way his entire body stiffened before he sprung forward, a war cry escaping his mouth, anger teetering on becoming pure rage.

Rivaille let out an excited sound, darting out of the way so that the boy wouldn't be able to pin him with the pounce alone. Eren did manage to catch the raven around the waist with one arm, limbs scrambling against the stone as they tumbled back from the blanket nest.

“ _Just shut up about her!_ ” Eren bellowed, a low and beastly voice taking over his usual tone for a moment.

The raven would have none of that, wrenching them over and slamming the brunette back against the cold stone of a nearby pillar. A little of the fire was shocked from Eren's eyes at the impact.

“Don't take that tone of voice with me.” Rivaille chided, a clawed hand curling snugly about the boy's throat to cut off his tantrum. “I couldn't care less about the whore you called your mother. She's gone now, _dead_ , lights out, good bye, _full stop._ ” The raven growled, pressing his hand harshly into the boy's throat.

The last of the boy's burning anger faded with the raven's words and a choked whimper caught in his throat.

“She's finished.” Rivaille stated again, features blank, tone cold, and he released his grip on the boy's neck with a sneer. “So stop whining like a child.”

Eren slumped against the pillar, teal eyes looking up at the raven despondently, like the kid wasn't even sure where he was anymore.

“We're talking about mortals, remember?” Rivaille pressed on, keeping a close eye on the brunette just in case he had any other plans to attack. “Humans. And Eren...poor darling, don't you know what humans are?” Leaning down, Rivaille bent until his mouth was by Eren's ear. “They're prey.” He whispered, feeling the boy shiver a little under him. Pulling back, he levelled the brunette with a stern look. “Is that how you want me to see you? As prey? As food?”

His eyes flashed red for a brief moment, a lapse in his control, and the brunette's own eyes grew a little wider. Eren shook his head, trying to back up a little only to find himself trapped by the pillar at his back.

“You don't want to be food, Eren?” Rivaille spoke to the brunette as if he were addressing a child and, for once, it didn't seem to be making the kid angry.

Eren only shook his head. “N-No, Sir.”

Rivaille nodded, holding back the approving smile that threatened to curve his lips and ruin the air of intimidation that he had built up from Eren's fear.

“That's good.” He murmured instead, giving another nod. “Good, Eren. I don't want to see you as my prey.”

There was the tiniest hint of relief in teal eyes, small but still there. Leaning down again, the raven paused a few inches from the boy's face, silver eyes roaming before settling on anxious blue-green orbs.

“Then...will you be a good boy and stop denying me my right?”

Eren swallowed; the sound was loud enough for Rivaille to easily hear it, and the boy wet his lips before speaking.

“Your right?”

Playing coy, of course the brat would try to put forth the dumb act. Well then, Rivaille would be more than happy to spell it out for him.

“Let me have you.” Rivaille said without preamble, voice unwavering as his hands dropped to the brunette's sides. “Let me remind you who it is that you belong to.”

The boy tensed instantly and the raven fought back the urge to groan. They were right back to square one, and after so much careful effort on his part. Damn it all.

Eren leaned as far back as he could manage. “I-I think we should give it some time-”

“So you'll casually fuck a mortal but not your own mate?” Rivaille asked, arching an eyebrow. “I'm hurt. What, were you practising or something? Trying to get a few tricks up your sleeve?”

Eren's adam's apple bobbed again, a tantalising tease. “M-Maybe I am.” The boy countered.

A brief moment of hesitation hung in the air as the two males stared at each other, Eren waiting, Rivaille analysing.

At last, the raven exhaled in what could have been relief. “Well fuck...you've finally lost your 'all work, no play' attitude, have you? Thank fuck for that.” There was only a tiny hint of sarcasm in the raven's tone. Mostly Rivaille just looked relieved and excited all at once. “We can finally expand on our play.”

The brunette had a sudden almost overwhelming urge to growl. This was one of the reasons why Rivaille was so goddamned difficult to deal with. The raven-haired demon had just learned that his mate was, in fact, sleeping with a human, and instead of white hot anger the fiend was coming onto Eren. It was maddening.

Shooting the raven a blank look, Eren considered bolting from the room. Usually, Rivaille's 'play' revolved around some kind of torture and it was generally a rather unpleasant experience for the brunette.

“Please don't bite my hands off again.” The boy groaned, hanging his head helplessly.

Rivaille gave a chuckle that sounded almost empathetic as he grabbed for the boy's hands, hauling him to his feet and turning them on the spot.

“Oh no, I'm not in the mood for those kinds of games.”

Glancing up, there was a mixture of curiosity and confusion in Eren's eyes as he was nudged backwards.

So his mate had found a human to entertain himself with. So what? Rivaille could show him what true pleasure was like; the kind that only he could provide. As Eren's mate, the raven-haired demon had a decently unfair advantage when it came to the power of touch. Whether the boy wanted to or not, his body would always comply with his mate's wishes in the end. So all the raven had to do was push hard enough, wear down the boy's resolve.

Maybe they didn't have to go all the way to fucking on this first night. Rivaille didn't need that to show Eren who he belonged to, who he was meant to belong to.

Moving a step at a time, the brunette cast the raven a wary glance.

Swallowing, the boy voiced his thoughts. “Then...what are you..?”

Rivaille nodded to a spot over the boy's shoulder and, looking back, the younger male saw where he was being herded back to. The blankets by the now dead fire.

Eren held his hands up in an attempt to pacify the raven, giving a start when the dark-haired demon pounced at him and sent them falling to the nest of blankets with a _whump_.

The brunette thanked his lucky stars that the cushions helped to break the fall, but his relief was short-lived when he found himself pinned, half straddled by an eager raven.

Rivaille guided Eren's arms to rest either side of his head, keeping a light grip on the boy's wrists as he bent to purr by the brunette's ear.

“Play with me.”

Eren blanched, squirming a little beneath the raven.

He tried to clarify. “What do you-”

“Don't play coy.” Rivaille cut him off, tongue darting out to flick against the shell of the boy's ear. “Let me taste you.”

There was no mistaking what the raven meant when he asked to taste.

Of all the things to savour, skin, flesh, blood, seed, Eren knew that Rivaille had a very specific form of play in mind. No pain trials this time, no vicious biting. This time there was no request for blood, for ownership, but a more traditional taste. To savour skin and sweat and the essence, the evidence of gratification through pleasure. Rivaille wanted sex, no doubt about it. Although...with his request to simply taste the brunette, the raven mostly likely wanted to suck Eren off. The black-scaled creature already knew the boy's scent, the flavour of his skin beneath his tongue, his teeth drawing out the sweet nectar of Eren's blood...only one thing remained to be given.

Only Eren wasn't sure that he wanted this creature's tongue on his skin, wasn't sure how his resolve would hold out. He only knew that it wouldn't be a safe venture, not with the haphazard manner that Rivaille changed his mind.

“U-Uh...no thank you.” Eren said, trying to edge back a little.

Rivaille tilted his head, silver eyes gleaming inquisitively. “Too shy?” He questioned.

“No.” The brunette swallowed. “I just...I don't trust your mouth there.”

A simple answer, and completely true at that, but it didn't seem to deter Rivaille in the slightest.

The raven laughed at the boy's fears, stretching out over the brunette's chest like a feline. “I just want to play with you.”

Teal eyes narrowed a little, partly in disbelief and partly in implication of what would happen should he let Rivaille anywhere near his nether region.

“Yeah, and bite my dick off when you're done.” Eren accused.

Another languid smile flashed across Rivaille's face. “It'll grow back, won't it?”

“That's not the point!”

“Isn't it?” The raven shot back, a brow arching. “You're always been remarkably quick to recover,” he stated, shrugging, “why would it be any different from a missing limb?”

“That's not-” Eren began, but promptly found a finger being pressed against his lips to silence his protests.

Rivaille cast him a blank look. “If your human lover gets to play with you, why can I not have the same privilege?” The raven enquired, and suddenly Eren could see why he was trying so hard to keep his features in their apathetic mask.

As much as the demon would like to deny it, the fact that Eren had, in fact, bonded so intimately with a creature other than him affected the raven deeply. With this realisation came a new worry...when exactly had Rivaille started to care about Eren as anything more than a toy he kept? When had the possession in those silver eyes changed from the childish need to be the sole owner of a toy to the jealous guarding of a would-be lover defending his prize?

Thin lips parted again and Rivaille was speaking.

“How many times have you given yourself to him?”

Eren didn't think it wise to dignify that with a response, remaining quiet.

“More than once, I would imagine.” Rivaille muttered, unable to hide the dissatisfaction in his voice as he sat up. “I'd at least like to have you once.”

The raven ran clawed fingers down the boy's chest so that his talons only lightly trailed over the younger male's skin, still bare since his shirt had been torn. The brunette really didn't want to be left with no garments whatsoever, feeling increasingly anxious as the raven brought his hand lower.

“Rivaille.” He spoke his mate's name, leaning back on his elbows, eyes gently pleading.

The black-scaled creature regarded him with a bored expression for a moment, hand paused at Eren's navel. Rivaille took in the way Eren ducked his head slightly, eyes having to look up through their lashes to meet his gaze. Elbows back to support his weight, the position left the rest of the brunette open for assault.

Just a tiny taste of trust for Rivaille to do with what he pleased. The demon could burn Eren for his show of faith, or reward him for trying.

Rivaille sighed, exhaling through his nose. He abandoned his original plan of shredding the boy's remaining clothes in favour of removing the brunette's hide trousers with the help of a little magic.

Mostly a bit of a party trick, this was something the raven-haired demon only really ever used to strip his victims before feasting. Rivaille supposed it would come in handy now. It was an extension of the particle manipulation that most advanced demons possessed; the ability to control matter to one's own will.

With a simple snap of the raven's fingers, Eren's attire was gone, leaving the brunette blushing and stark naked.

Rivaille snapped his fingers a second time and the boy's pants appeared strewn over the back of one of the nearby chairs. With that out of the way, the raven turned his gaze back to Eren, letting his eyes roam over his mate's body.

Beautiful, as it always had been. Eren was an extraordinary creature, all long limbs and lean muscle rippling and shifting under tan skin. Skin so much richer than Rivaille's own milky complexion. Eren was like caramel and gold; Rivaille would call him sun-kissed if he believed their own hellish sun to be capable of bestowing such beauty.

Eyes roaming lower, the raven followed the faint trail of hair that led from Eren's navel to his groin. The legs that had half crossed over themselves as if to hide. Looking up, he witnessed the pull of teeth against the brunette bottom lip as he worried the skin there.

Anxious, nervous and trembling just a little.

Half-scaled in this form, still not permitted to revert back to his warrior's form until the raven saw fit to have him that way. His ears pressed anxiously against his head, tail twitching behind him and giving away his nerves.

“Just...no teeth?”

“You're still worried about things not growing back?” The raven drawled, resisting an urge to roll his eyes. “Just relax, it's not like the one part of you that wouldn't recover would be your dick.”

The brunette swallowed nervously, squirming as Rivaille backed him up against the pile of cushions, prying the boy's legs apart when they tried to close.

“I-I'd rather not test that.” Eren voiced, swallowing again. “J-Just in case.”

“How boring of you.” The silver-eyed demon sighed.

He sounded bored, but the light blazing in the raven's eyes told Eren otherwise. There was a hunger in those eyes that, for once, had nothing to do with consuming. The brunette watched the raven's eyes trail over his body, curious and almost, _almost_ , impressed.

Reaching out and watching with no small amount of satisfaction as Eren cringed more and more the closer the raven's hand got to his groin, Rivaille gave a lazy hum.

“You know...I'm well within my right to rip your traitorous, cheating balls right off for sleeping with another man.” He muttered, rolling his palm ever so gently over the swell of Eren's scrotum. “I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to.”

Eren whimpered, giving a frightened whine as the raven's hand brushed against his length, pushing his still soft cock back against his stomach and trailing a talon lightly up the underside from balls to head. The threat was there and Eren didn't dare do much more than breathe, terrified of what Rivaille could do to him with a simple flick of those terrible claws.

A low chuckle sounded from the raven; laughter at the boy's expense, at his fearful gaze.

“Then again,” the smaller demon paused, running his hand up past the brunette's length to gently grip his chin, “I'm supposed to be proving that I'm capable of things other than violence, so perhaps I'll let your dick live another day. No promises for the future, dear.”

Eren swallowed anxiously in the raven's grip. “Th-Thank you.”

“Oh? Good boy.” The raven responded, turning his gaze back between the boy's legs. “You don't trust my mouth.” Rivaille muttered, mostly to himself. “What about a hand then?”

“Claws.” The brunette muttered in response, eyeing claws in question warily.

Rivaille rolled his eyes, lifting a hand and shooting Eren the finger but, as the boy watched, the talons disappeared and left behind perfectly normal looking nails.

“How's that?”

“B-Better.” The boy admitted, swallowing at the way Rivaille's eyes flickered.

Silver eyes roved over the brunette's form, the slitted pupils dilating slowly. Rivaille blinked, closed his eyes, swallowed and cleared his throat. When his eyes opened again, there was a steely determination lurking within those silver pools...but determined for what, Eren did not know.

“First,” Rivaille began, pausing to rest his hands over each of the boy's knees, “...let's talk.”

“T-Talk?” Eren asked, casting an incredulous look between them. “C-Can't I have my clothes back if we're going to talk?”

“No.” Came the clipped reply, accompanied by a smile that held no humour. “You're in my territory now, brat, so you'll just have to suck it up and do as I say. And I say that I want you like this, naked and vulnerable.” Leaning in, Rivaille bared his teeth in what could have been a grin. “Any complaints, my dear?”

Teal eyes narrowed a little, but the boy was all too well aware of his situation to risk snarking back at the raven.

“A few.” The boy murmured, exhaling through his nose. “But I doubt you'd listen to them.”

A wry smirk replaced the raven's too-wide grin; such a sly expression, languid and lazy and yet still so threatening.

“Clever boy.”

Eren glared, but deep down he knew he was beaten. Unless he wanted to risk a tussle in his current state, the brunette had no choice but to play along.

Sucking in a breath and blowing it up towards his eyes in an indignant display, the boy conceded.

“Fine. Talking it is.”

“Great.” Rivaille said, grinning on the word in a way that held absolutely none of the emotion it should have. “First of all...why?”

The brunette waited for more words to follow, for something, anything more. But Rivaille simply crouched there, waiting.

“Why?” Eren repeated, frowning.

“Why have you done this? Chosen another lover?” The raven-haired demon expanded, holding back his frustration in search of answers. “You have to understand how insulting that is, in fact I hope you're considering the effort I'm putting forth not cutting your throat right here and now.” Rivaille murmured with a smile that didn't suit the moment, watching the brunette swallow instinctively. “So...tell me why you've betrayed me in this way.”

“I-I didn't plan it. I never meant for any of this to happen.” The boy began to stammer in earnest, tail twitching back and forth anxiously until it was caught in one of the raven's hands, grasped tight within long fingers and held still.

“I'm not liking this story so far, Eren.” Silver eyes remained on the boy's tail, watching the tip curl and twist as he spoke. “Why don't we make this more interesting?”

The brunette blanched, resisting the urge to squirm. “Rivaille, no, I-I'm telling you the truth-”

“For every part of your story that I don't buy,” the raven carried on, ignoring Eren's pleading explanations, “you earn yourself another penalty.”

Stilling, one eyebrow arching up in query, Eren bit back a whimper. “Penalty..?”

Whatever it was, it couldn't be pleasant. From the look in Rivaille's eyes, this so-called penalty would be effective. Bad news for the brunette.

To emphasise his point, the raven set a curled knuckle at the base of the boy's testicles. Eren paled as understanding washed over him, mewling in protest to no avail.

“Go on.” The raven waved his free hand at the boy, a sign to continue.

Searching for the words...the place to start, Eren swallowed nervously. He had been counting on having more time...time to sort out his story, to find the right words to explain. But he had no time. Talk, he had to talk now or Rivaille would become angry with him...would suspect that he was lying.

“I met...Levi,” Eren's eyes closed as he said the name, feeling his chest tighten at the memory of his dear human, “one day after I had crossed over to the living world. It was right after I ran from this place the last time-ah-ow!”

The brunette yelped when the raven pushed his knuckle into the tender flesh at the base of his scrotum, sending a jolt of pain blossoming through his groin. Eren gasped an apology, forgetting that of course Rivaille would not appreciate the reminder of his mate fleeing from him.

“S-Sorry, Rivaille...sorry, please...”

Teal eyes squeezed shut and the boy held his breath, exhaling in a rush as the pain eased to nothing once more when Rivaille stopped pressing.

The raven regarded him, features holding no distinguishable expression. “Continue.”

Weary blue-green orbs focused back on the raven, reluctant. Swallowing and wetting his lips, Eren began again.

“I-I used the Way Through to get to the living world,” the boy started somewhat shakily, electing to keep his eyes locked on the floor to one side, “I was just planning on making a brief trip, just stopping by to get my strength up. For a few days there was nothing but feeding, I couldn't tell you how many street dwelling prey I consumed after dark. Then I...I guess I got a little bored.” The brunette paused to sigh, shaking his head at himself. “I killed while the sun was still up, although you wouldn't have been able to tell through the rain. That was...my fault. The rain, I mean. I was frustrated, I wanted more than just another kill. I wanted someone to know what I was while they were dying.”

Had Eren been looking up, he might have seen the flicker of approval, of understanding, that passed behind Rivaille's eyes.

Exhaling through his nose, the boy carried on. “So I changed.” Eren looked almost ashamed of himself admitting the act, even to another of his kin. “I was in full form when I tore out that poor bastard's throat. It felt good. It was in an alleyway that I guessed would be deserted...”

Eren paused there and Rivaille noticed the corner of the boy's mouth pull up into a little half-smile, wistful and nostalgic.

“...but I was wrong.” The boy kept that half-smile on his face, humming softly as if the memory in his head was fond. When he spoke again, it was with an absent tone, warm, and there was a far off look in his eyes. “That's where I met him, you see. Mid feast, covered in blood in the middle of a downpour that would put biblical parables to shame.”

Eren paused, his eyes clouded with that faraway look as he relived the memory that felt so very distant now.

“He looked so astounded, so out of his element. The fear in his eyes was the most exhilarating thing...something that I've learned to replace with mirth since then. At first there was only challenge, the challenge of driving him away, of winning his favour...earning his trust. But...I got too wrapped up in everything. I didn't even realise that I wanted him to want me too, that I wanted him to want to know what I was because I felt insecure.”

Something changed; Eren realised it when he felt the raven draw back, his hand no longer a constant threat near the boy's groin. Blinking, the brunette's eyes found the raven's figure again as he came out from the daze of memory.

The stillness was too good to be true. Silver eyes held indecision, the kind of uncertainty one feels when they are about to make a decision that they know they shouldn't.

Rivaille moved so fast that Eren barely had time to yelp in fright before his head was trapped in the raven's hands, silver eyes boring into terrified teal as their foreheads came together with a gentle bump that seemed impossible considering the speed of the raven's approach.

Thumbs pressed to his temples, hands steadying the boy's head in their grasp as those eyes sought sights deeper than just his own reflection in Eren's startled green pools.

Eyes widening, Eren realised what Rivaille was attempting to do.

“No...” the boy protested, attempting to struggle.

Rivaille's tail came up to curl about Eren's wrists, binding them tightly as he knelt down on the brunette's own tail to prevent any sort of counter-attack.

“Show me.” The raven said.

It sounded like an order.

This was nothing like the gentle process that Eren had guided Levi through; Rivaille gave the brunette no choice. There was no escape option, no way to shield anything from the raven's prying. Closer to a full possession than anything Eren would dream of putting Levi through, Rivaille's eyes burned red suddenly and Eren's mind stung as his defences were torn open. Memories spilled out, free for the taking, and the brunette gave a sharp cry as the sight of Rivaille before him blurred, mixing with other images.

It was far from comfortable, the sudden confusing rush of memories that surged up against his will. The chill of rain registered on his skin, a memory of a lane, the taste of blood in his mouth, familiar grey eyes filled with disbelief, with horror.

“ _Shouldn’t you be calling the cops by now or something?”_

A sharp pain registered in his head, gasping, the next in the tirade presented itself.

An apartment door being opened, those same eyes now filled with less fear, some irritation, confusion.

“ _So I was looking around the neighbourhood and I was thinking back to Thursday when I remembered that I don’t even know your name and-”_

“ _Eren, what in the ever living fuck are you doing outside my apartment?”_

Anger, bickering, his own tears stinging with his eyes.

“ _Ah Christ, come here.”_

An awkward embrace. A lesson on human comforting rituals, poorly executed as it had been.

An invitation.

“ _Come in, then.”_

A new home, small and humble. A place that Eren had grown to love. Tears and tissues, tea and strange, metal accessories decorating his human's face.

A question.

“… _are you going to tell me what you are?”_

Avoidance; a reluctance to spoil what had been building between them, unwillingness to lose a new plaything.

“ _Are you stalling again?”_

A risk taken.

“ _So you’ll tell me?”_

“ _No. But I can do one better…I can show you.”_

Flames and the pain of transformation. Confusion. Shock. Surprise.

Acceptance.

Burnt carpet. New rugs. Sushi. A whole lifetime's worth of memories not his own, shared. Ex-boyfriends, jealousy, threats, a broken hand. Mornings waking up wrapped in arms, safe, warm. Breakfasts that he hadn't needed. Feelings so nice that they hurt in his chest.

It hurt, each new flash of images, sounds, sensations bringing a new sting to his head as they were ripped forth without his consent.

“Stop.” Eren managed, voice strained.

Arguments, banter, Eren lying sprawled at the base of one of the chairs in the dining room like a cat looking for attention. Pet me, love me, don't ignore me.

“Please.”

Reunions, running all the way home with a raven-haired human panicking in his arms. Breathless laughter and footsteps pattering away at the pavement, excitement licking through his veins.

“Rivaille...I said...”

Feverish kisses, Levi's legs around his waist, falling backwards onto the sofa. Ignoring disgruntled mutterings in favour of getting closer. Levi's scent, the feeling of his lips, the taste of his skin, Levi, Levi, _always_ Levi-

“ _STOP IT!_ ”

A flash of blue light erupted and suddenly the brunette was covered in his flames. The teal fire licked at his body as the boy gave a guttural cry.

Rivaille threw himself back with a hiss at the searing blast of heat as Eren burst into flame, limbs flailing in this moment of undiluted rage. Eyes alight with green fire, teeth bared, sharp and snarling, the brunette lunged blindly, falling forwards onto his hands and knees. Mindless, gnashing his teeth as rage burned white behind his eyes. Eren couldn't see, didn't care that he couldn't see, as he thrashed about with the intent to harm.

Rivaille backed up, wildly brushing off the little blue-green flames that clung to him. Blinded as well, but by the boy's fire and not his own anger, the smaller demon felt his back hit one of the stone columns. He allowed himself to slump down it, nearly lying flat on the ground.

The raven hissed, face steaming slowly as his eyes recovered from the flame. Breath coming out in soft snarls and growls, Rivaille remained half sprawled back on the floor, shaking his head at the rush of images.

Somewhere in the background, Eren was still snarling, still writhing about. Rivaille could hear his angry growls.

Lips curving into a slow grin, the raven started to laugh. Low and dark, but most definitely amused.

“Oh, Eren...my poor, foolish little fox. Even running from me as you did, you couldn't completely get away? How cruel of fate to throw my own reflection your way.”

Even through his blinding rage, the brunette managed to hear the words, to pick up on the amusement, the understanding in that tone.

He knew...Rivaille knew about Levi, about their time together, about Eren's feelings...

They were compromised...and all because Eren had allowed himself to lose focus.

_Levi...I'm sorry._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, long chapters man.  
> If I missed any mistakes, please point them out. I won't think badly of you or anything, it's actually really helpful.  
> Anyways, a big thank you to all my wonderful readers! All of the kudos and comments always make my day and the feedback is very helpful, keep it coming :) UNI is getting a bit hectic, so I can't guarantee that the next chapter for this will be up in another week. I'll try, but education comes first, of course. Thanks again all, you make the writing worth it!


	38. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kay, guys, I changed my mind. The last few weeks of UNI before mid-year break are going to be hectic, so I won't be writing until the holidays get here. To make up for that, I'm updating all my fics at once.  
> Now we find out how the two demon boys will resolve their feud. Will violence or words triumph?  
> Enjoy!

“Break the locks off this cage, adrenalin through my veins.” – The Relay Company, Animals.

***

“Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't feel. Just because I don't believe doesn't mean I don't understand. We are one in the unified field.” – IAMX, The Unified Field.

***

  
  


The brunette shook his head, still caught in his rage. Feral snarls rumbled throughout the room, echoing. Sharp teeth snapped viciously at nothing as Eren flailed mindlessly, his skin alight with blue and green fire.

A little ways back, the raven-haired demon panted for breath. His eyes were white, scarred for the moment, burned by the brunette's fire. Steam rose from his scorched flesh, healing over.

Blinded as he was for the moment, Rivaille wished he could see the boy so lost to anger, even directed at him. It had to be wildly beautiful to see this being tapped into his truest nature, his core instinct to destroy.

Pointed teeth formed a wicked grin and a dark chuckle rumbled through the room, echoing off the cold stone and cutting through the brunette's terrible growling.

The images from Eren's mind still ran strong in Rivaille's head, a little jumbled but coherent enough to be seen in glimpses. The raven saw black hair, a scowling face that mirrored his own, the same sarcastic brow cocked in challenge.

How cruel of fate to send Rivaille's own human counterpart Eren's way. It was laughable.

Levi...that's what Eren had called him...this mortal. So his name had changed since Rivaille had crossed to this existence? It must have been a long time then. Long enough for times to have forgotten his own title, preserved in his mind.

Even as a mortal, this human of Eren's had bite, it would seem. Human, yes, but not weak...not helpless. Rivaille glimpsed vicious movements, a fighter's skill. What an intriguing human...the memories stung his mind to filter through, but it was worth it for the glimpses of a man he found. Garbed casually enough, and yet sporting dark patterns on his skin and metal about his head.

Was this creature, this Levi, some kind of warrior?

But none of that mattered, this human was nothing in comparison to Rivaille's own strength. He was but a speck, less than a speck, Rivaille could swat him out of his pathetic existence within the blink of an eye.

But damn, for a speck, this Levi was attractive as Hell. Pun most definitely intended.

And something far more amusing than anything Rivaille had discovered so far...was that Eren had not even realised what had stood before his own eyes when he had first encountered this Levi.

Another dark chuckle carried through the chilly air.

“I'm surprised you didn't realise straight away...from the very first moment.” Rivaille muttered, his face seemingly set in a permanent grin. “You must have been slipping in your hunt...too high from gorging on human flesh to even recognise who was standing right in front of you.” Rivaille could imagine it with perfect clarity, could taste the copper tang of human blood in his mouth as it played out in his head, the rush, the ecstasy tingling through his veins. “What a monster that must make you, little lamb. You really are perfect.”

Eren's breathing was harsh, forced from his lungs in a desperate attempt to come back to himself, lull the beast within. Gasping inhalations, half snarls as they escaped his lips, rasped their way through the brunette's lungs. Eyes ablaze yet unseeing, the fiery green orbs glowed in the darkened room.

Not far away, the dark-haired demon tilted his head towards the sounds, wary. Vision slowly returning, foggy as it was, Rivaille turned his head to search through the gloom.

“I have to say I'm impressed that you didn't consume him right away.” The raven called teasingly, intent on stirring the enraged creature that was his mate. “I'm confused, why would you bother remaining around the single most tempting treat available to you?”

A bright glow registered through the hazy images and shapes, blue fire still surrounding the boy, gradually dying. Through the bluish light shone two pinpricks of green. Just a shape, just a blur of movement for now, but enough.

Backing up even as he spoke, Rivaille kept his aching eyes on the flare of blue. “If our roles had been reversed, if I had been the one to discover your reflection...I wouldn't have wasted a second.”

It was truth, plain and simple. The average mortal was a treat in itself to consume, but the human incarnation of your mate...there was nothing better.

“ _Not another word about him._ ” A harsh voice growled, the sound of it shaking the walls in its intensity.

The raven could only laugh.

“Ooh? Look who's finally hit puberty.” Rivaille chuckled at the low growl that the comment earned him. Clawed hands raised in defence. “Just a joke, dear, don't be too hasty with those teeth.”

He couldn't risk the boy attacking him, not while blinded. Maybe, if the kid wasn't currently tapped in to every last bit of his inner strength. In his current state, Eren might just pose a threat.

And Rivaille would be lying if he said the thought didn't turn him on a bit. Okay, maybe more than a bit.

“You want me to believe that?” The brunette snapped, referring to Rivaille's request for a ceasefire. “You want me to let you stall, recover, tear me apart and then him _just to satisfy yourself?”_ The boy's harsh snarl was back, furious. “ _No...no more,_ _I won't let your anger harm him._ ”

Surprisingly, Rivaille only laughed at that. Not his usual, sinister cackle, either. No, this was lighter, almost carefree.

“Oh no, I'm not mad.” The raven said, grinning into the gloomy space. “I'm flattered, darling. It's remarkably gratifying to know that, no matter what you do, you'll always come back to me in one way or another.”

Eren inhaled sharply at that, breath catching in his throat as an ache stabbed through his chest. Rivaille was right, damn him. There truly was no way to escape him, even with Levi. No matter how long he spent away, there would always be thoughts of his mate somewhere in the back of his head. It was the same when he was here with Rivaille; thoughts of Levi plagued him.

A sneer twisted the boy's face as he began to calm, feeling the age old anger cool. The fire licking its way over his skin began to fade, flickering out, and his eyes losing the last of their glow. His scales returned to skin, warrior's form slipping away after the excessive use of power.

Boyish once again, he let out a weary sound.

Voice trembling still as the brunette's shaking limbs threatened to give out beneath him, the boy's eyes sought out the raven. Silver eyes gazed back at him, the last of the steam from his healing magic evaporating into the air above.

“That's an intriguing point of view...” Eren said, panting in exhaustion after the sudden rush of strength, “you twisted fuck.”

Rivaille just scoffed out a weary laugh. “Well as long as we're being honest with each other, you unfaithful...” the raven paused, trying to search for a worthy insult before blowing a raspberry and giving up, “ah, fuck it; I can't insult something so beautiful.”

The brunette collapsed at last onto the stone floor, warm from his flames, and let out a frustrated sound.

“Typical,” he panted, eyes threatening to slip closed, “...you can't even...” pant, “pretend to keep the fight going.”

A dry chuckle sounded and Rivaille sat, shaking his head with a bemused grin. “Sorry, darling, I just don't have it in me to insult living art.”

The boy only grumbled. “Ass.”

“Hey now,” the raven chided half-heartedly, “is that any way to speak to someone who's just handed you a compliment?”

“Pfft.” The brunette responded weakly.

Quiet descended, the only noise being the sound of steadily rising steam, hissing from the raven's burned flesh. He was nearly healed, by now, still eyeing the brunette as though Eren would recover and launch himself at the raven in a fit of anger.

But Eren only lay there, breathing as calmly as he could manage. In, hold, out, pause. Rinse, repeat.

The silence was bothering the smaller demon, his fingers drumming against his knee.

“So...” Rivaille began, pausing for a moment until teal eyes blinked up at him, “you're fucking a mortal?”

Shrugging, the boy replied. “Yup.”

The raven scoffed at the simple response. “Interesting.” The smaller demon said through a soft huff of laughter. “He any good?”

“Very good.” Eren said without a moment's hesitation, spiteful yet honest.

Ouch. Yes, even demons have feelings and even a demon's feelings can be hurt.

“Heh. Way to make a man jealous, brat.” Rivaille muttered, but he still managed a smirk. “Is it serious? Between the two of you?”

The raven-haired demon had a feeling, more than a feeling, he knew what the answer was. The point of asking is to see what the boy would respond with.

Rolling his eyes, Eren blew a puff of air towards his fringe. “Take a wild guess.”

Well at least the kid hadn't lied to him. A straight up no could very well have ended the brat's existence. But in truth, Rivaille wasn't all that angry with the kid. How could he be, what with the boy's partner being a mortal version of himself?

“From what I saw-”

“What you stole, don't you mean?” Eren snapped, pushing up onto one elbow to scowl over at him. “Ass.”

The raven gave an amused little exhale at that, eyes dropping to look at his feet. No, he wasn't angry...but there was something built up in his chest. A tightness that he wasn't accustomed to. Rivaille supposed he couldn't begrudge his reflection for claiming his mate, for getting to him first. This human, this Levi, had clearly employed a better method of courting than Rivaille had. Of course he had, he was human. They only lived a short time, everything was in the moment. And with something an enticing as his young mate, how could anyone resist?

“You look like I just stole your birthday present or something.” Eren mentioned, having pushed up and arranged himself in a sitting position.

Rivaille exhaled through his nose in response, a despondently amused sound.

Staring curiously at the quiet raven, the brunette frowned.

“What's with you?” The boy enquired, brows furrowed.

Instead of snapping at the brunette to mind his own business, as Rivaille had been know to do, the raven just let out a weary sigh.

“I wish I didn't feel...threatened right now.” Rivaille murmured after a while, still wearing that sad little smile, like the raven knew that there was nothing he could do about it.

The words cut through Eren easier than any blade ever could and for a moment the boy could see every long and lonely year that Rivaille had endured reflected in those timeless silver eyes. And it broke his heart to know that part of this suffering creature's pain had been caused by him. That age old bond ached in his bones, tugged at his heart.

“Rivaille...” the name ghosted over his lips, a broken sound, repentant and shocked all at once, like the boy couldn't help but offer comfort even though he was surprised that anything could damage this terrifying beast before him, “Rivaille, I...I didn't want to...I never planned this, I swear it.” He said, sniffling a little as the emotions caught up with him in a flurry. Surprise and grief and regret and longing, all scrambled about within the confines of his head. “I just...things happened, I never meant for any of this to,” the boy's throat closed around his words as he covered his eyes with a hand, despairing, “...it's just so messed up now.”

Silver eyes regarded the distressed creature across from him, feeling an odd pull in his being, a desire to comfort, to hold, even as a small part of his being recoiled at the idea of helping this betrayer.

_It wasn't his fault._

Rivaille knew that, would have been a petty creature not to realise it, but that just made him feel worse. The knowledge that no matter what either of them had done, this mortal probably would have worked his way in between them regardless burned in his veins.

Picking himself up and wincing at the pull of newly recovered muscle, the raven crawled closer to the brat, depositing himself by the closest pillar to the boy and slumping. Sitting the way they were, with Eren cross-legged and Rivaille with his feet outstretched, they were almost touching. The raven's feet wouldn't have to stretch far at all to brush the boy's legs.

The proximity instantly made the smaller demon feel better and he kind of hated it. This was not going to be a simple issue...not at all. No matter how angry he may get at the prospect of having his mate being cared for by another, or even Eren's willingness, his body would always yearn for the brunette.

Eren had been right...their situation was thoroughly messed up.

“Don't cry, please.” Rivaille muttered instead, more of a plea really. “I don't deal well with tears,” he admitted, “never have.”

A sad little chuckle came from the boy, still covering his eyes. “Levi isn't good with crying people either.”

“Oh? Common ground. Yay.” The raven muttered, less than enthused but knowing that he should indulge the boy's comment.

It made the brunette laugh, though, so maybe it was worth it.

“And you're both sarcastic.” Eren pointed out, letting his hand fall at last to reveal a wistful little smile.

Still, even a sad smile was better than no smile at all. Rivaille just wanted to put all of these stupid feelings behind them. He would have to adapt his strategy now...if he wanted Eren, which he most certainly did, then the raven would need to approach courting differently.

“I bet he doesn't have my killer smile?” The smaller demon said, flashing the brunette a cheeky grin.

Eren couldn't help but laugh at the kind of disturbing pun, pleased to see a little smirk on the raven's face again. Even the rather frightening prospect of sharpened teeth didn't detract from his mate's smile, when he was trying at least.

“I wouldn't know,” the boy murmured as his laughter died down, “he doesn't smile all that often.”

“No?” Rivaille asked, raising a brow.

At least this way, the raven could learn more about Eren's human lover. Surely the right information would be of some use?

“Nah...” Eren said, that wistful smile returning, “but when he does smile...it's beautiful.”

Silver eyes watched the expression on the boy's face, the tender smile, the eyes that practically shone with adoration.

He sighed. “Well fuck me.”

Teal eyes flicked back to the raven, confused. “What?”

“I don't know if you've noticed,” Rivaille muttered, eyes trained on the floor, “but you're all about this Levi guy in the same way that I'm all about you.”

Eren looked shocked for a moment, but soon a sarcastic glimmer returned to his eyes.

“Except for the torture and imprisonment?” The brunette said, challenging.

Rivaille shook his head at the kid's cheek, exhaling his amusement in a huff.

“Heh. Yeah.” The raven allowed with a roll of his eyes, kicking the brunette's foot with his own.

Once again the room was quiet, and Rivaille watched as Eren's tail swished out to curl around the raven's ankle. The gesture made the smaller demon's chest ache and he let his head tip back to rest against the cold stone pillar at his back, letting his own tail seek out the brat's and coaxing it to twine around his own.

“I wish it wasn't like this.” Eren offered, staring glumly at the ground.

Rivaille made a soft sound of agreement. “You and me both.”

The raven-haired demon sighed, closing his eyes. His head was a mess, confusion around every corner. There was anger, well suppressed by now, sadness, longing. Rivaille wanted to track down this human, travel to the living world and hunt him down, make him scream and beg for mercy, make sure that this Levi knew exactly what he was up against. But, at the same time, he was almost grateful for this other creature out there. No matter where Eren went, he would have someone possessive enough to keep an eye on him and keep the brat out of trouble. As long as Eren would always make it back to him, Rivaille didn't give a flying fuck whether he slept with this mortal or not. Levi couldn't give it to Eren like Rivaille could, this mortal couldn't satisfy the boy's primal desires like he could. Eren wouldn't have to worry about damaging Rivaille, he could bite and taste and lose himself to pleasure.

One day, Rivaille would show the boy what that was like. No doubt it would be a learning experience for them both. For the raven, he had known plenty of debauchery in his time, knew how to best work a body. But nothing would be so good as the feeling of his own mate writhing beneath him. That ecstasy was, as yet, unfamiliar to the raven...and he was eager to experience it.

However, with this knew development, perhaps he would need to wait. Not a promising thought in his own mind.

“Thank you.” Eren's voice drew the raven from his thoughts with a start.

Silver eyes blinked. “Huh?”

“For...” the boy paused, swallowing and glancing at the floor, “for before. It was...nice.”

Rivaille sent the kid an unimpressed look when teal eyes glanced up again.

“No need to look so pleased.” The raven muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Eren merely stuck his tongue out at the smaller demon. “Whatever, old man. I was just trying to be nice, you ungrateful gnome.”

The raven only smirked at the insults, shrugging.

Sighing, the boy shifted slightly, his tail unconsciously tightening around the other male's.

“I just...” he began, sighing again and running a hand over his face, “I don't feel right admitting it.”

Understandable, after all Rivaille hadn't exactly been much of a lover up until recently. Even then, he had only been coaxing up until this point. But he wouldn't be getting anywhere if he didn't do something.

“Think of it this way;” Rivaille began, gaining the brunette's attention, “we're the same, your mortal lover and I. Only I'll be around a hell of a lot longer than he will.” It was a low blow, a cruel reminder that Eren wouldn't always have the comfort of his human to escape to, but it was all he had. “Remember that when you go picking which of us to please.”

A broken look crossed the brunette's features, like his whole reality had just been shattered, and for a moment Rivaille saw the glistening of tears brimming in the boy's eyes.

“Christ, don't cry.” Rivaille surged forward, wrapping his arms about the boy. “I didn't mean to say that, I'm sorry darling.” He hushed, feeling the younger male sob in his embrace.

“Get the fuck off of me!” Eren tried to shout, but his throat closed around the sound, the words coming out as a whimper as he shoved Rivaille roughly from him.

The smaller demon allowed himself to be pushed away, giving the boy the space he seemed to think he needed. Rivaille knew better; the boy may have wanted to be alone right now, but he needed the company.

“Easy, little one.” The raven soothed, hands held up to pacify the brunette.

Eren took a few deep breaths, a little shakily, as he tried to calm down. It took a little while, but eventually the boy fought back the tears that had threatened to spill, aiming a half-hearted hiss at Rivaille. The raven didn't complain, he deserved the kid's wrath.

But the boy's next words were something that Rivaille could never have expected.

Teal eyes surprisingly cold, the brunette levelled the raven with a solemn look. “I could keep him forever if I wanted to.”

Thin eyebrows shot up and the raven had to wonder whether the kid could be considering...eating his human. He had to be, the urge would definitely be there.

“How? By consuming him?” Rivaille challenged, but it made sense. “Of course, that's how I keep my beloved ones with me.” He nodded.

A look of disgust twisted the brunette's features and he sneered. “I would never...I'm not so sick as that.” The boy spat, teeth bared.

Silver eyes flared. “Excuse you.”

But Eren wasn't listening. “I won't consume him.” The boy said, like the words were a vow. “I refuse to sink so low.”

But...if the boy didn't eat his mortal, then what could he possibly want to do with him? Wait for the years to consume his human instead? To leave him old and frail and then finally watch him pass on? No, Eren cared too much for this being to allow that to happen. But then what?

Silver eyes narrowed in their confusion, trying to piece together the bigger picture.

“Then how..?” Rivaille trailed off as a thought presented itself, and then his eyes widened a little. “No...not a venom bond, surely?” He uttered, eyeing the brunette in a new light. “You're venomous?”

Some demons, and only a select few at that, possessed a kind of magic which was transferred by a bite, hence the term venomous. In truth, there was no actual venom involved in the process, but the preserving virus was delivered through the blood through a bite much like poison from a snake. This 'venom' could be used on a mortal creature and even some lower level demons, transforming the affected being into the slave of the one who bit them.

And Eren had never looked more serious than he did at that moment. “A combination of that and traditional preserving magic would be more than enough, don't you think?”

Rivaille couldn't believe his ears, couldn't fathom that his little Eren was considering something as _demonic_ as giving a mortal the curse of eternal life.

“...well fuck me.” Rivaille's eyebrows rose in surprise. “That's dark for you.”

“But it would work.”

“Sure, that would work like a charm...” the raven agreed, had to, because he wouldn't lie to his mate, “but you do realise that he would die the second that you do, right?”

Eren did know that. Venom bonds were tricky. It wasn't a perfect process and often resulted in failure when executed poorly, but if successful the slave would then live as long as their master would live for. Likewise, should the master die or be killed, the the slave would suffer the same fate. It wasn't perfect, no, but it would do. It would have to do.

The brunette exhaled through his nose, resigned. “Then I'll never die.” He stated simply.

“Oh?” Rivaille made a questioning sound, wondering just when his little lamb had become so determined. “And will you do so? Would you subject him to that? The torture of eternity?”

Finally the stern expression on the boy's face faltered and he made a frustrated sound.

“I...I haven't decided yet.” Eren admitted, voice uncertain.

For once Rivaille did not mock him, too curious for that.

“Are you willing to let him go?” The raven asked instead. “To allow him to become a beloved memory in place of a physical comfort?”

Fidgeting, the boy wrung his hands in his lap for a moment, looking exceptionally guilty.

“I already cast a preservation spell on him.” Eren admitted, and suddenly his look of guilt made perfect sense.

The brunette had used his magic to slow the effects of time on his mortal. It would take years before anyone realised that the human wasn't aging like other human beings. But by that time Eren would have surely made his decision. It would be of little consequence.

“You have?” Rivaille questioned. “Does he know?”

The brunette winced a little and shook his head. “I just...I need time to decide.” He sighed, knowing that he should have mentioned something like this to Levi before going ahead with it, but what if Levi said no? What would Eren have done if his human didn't want to while away eternity by his side? “If I wait too long he may be spoiled. So I'm preserving him.”

To do something like this without informing his human, which the boy seemed to care for immensely, it must mean that the boy feared this human's opinion. But it also meant that he was taken with him enough to go ahead without his permission.

Rivaille ran his tongue over his lips to wet them before he spoke. “You're really considering turning him?”

Teal eyes flared with challenge, the likes of which the raven hadn't seen since they had first met. “What would you do if I did?”

The challenge in the brunette's eyes was real and for a moment Rivaille felt his alpha instinct take over. Eren couldn't have missed the flickering of red in his eyes, but it didn't seem to faze the younger male.

At last, Rivaille chuckled. “I’d be pissed,” he answered honestly, but then considered, “…but I guess he’d make a good pet.”

Teal eyes rolled. “Ugh.” Eren groaned.

“Sure, bring him here. Bring him home.” Rivaille muttered, teasing now. “We’ll see how quickly I can whip him into shape, hmm?”

Eren only scoffed, shooting the raven a stern look. “You don’t get to lay a single finger on him.” The brunette informed the raven-haired demon.

“Well that’s a tad greedy of you.” Rivaille stated matter-of-factly. “He is _my_ reflection.”

“Well he’s _my_ boyfriend.” The brunette glared. “So there.”

“Boyfriend?” Rivaille frowned at the term, confused. “I suppose that’s one of your mortal’s endearments?” He guessed.

The boy rolled his eyes, nodding the affirmative. “It’s a status applied to one’s level of relationship. It means that we’re an exclusive couple. Well…it does in his world.”

“Ah,” Rivaille nodded in understanding, “…and does he know about me?”

A derisive scoff sounded from the boy. “Of course he does.”

Of course, huh? Funny how such a little word could hold so much meaning. _Of course_ Eren would tell his human that he wasn't the only one. But he couldn't tell Rivaille the same thing?

“I see.” The raven murmured, swallowing, “So clearly you’ve already decided your preferences? Ouch.”

Surprisingly, Eren merely shrugged. “Like you said, he’s your reflection.” The boy said. “Technically it almost doesn’t count.”

Rivaille hated that the brunette was using his own words against him, but fair was fair. He had said that and now he had to suck it up.

“What if I made you stay here, hmm?” The raven muttered, arching a thin brow in challenge. “What if I kept you prisoner until he passed from life to death?” The threat was clear and Eren bared his teeth in response. “Maybe you’d even get to see him again if he turns up by the soul pits?” Rivaille offered.

The boy only shook his head. “No…surely not, he’s not got an evil soul.”

Eren's tone had been quite calm, even after Rivaille's words. It was odd.

“Are you not concerned that I’ll make good on my threat?” The raven-haired demon enquired.

“You won’t keep me here.” Eren sighed wearily, for once not an ounce of fear was present in the boy's eyes. “Much as you might want to, you’ve got business with your slaughtering.” The brunette stated matter-of-factly, turning his head to shoot the raven a small, wry smile. “I doubt you’d give that up just to keep an eye on a brat for every hour of the day.”

Rivaille wanted to fume, but he couldn't. “Maybe you’re wrong?”

“Maybe you’re full of shit?” Eren shot back, eyebrows raising as he said the words.

It leant the boy a passively incredulous expression. The pair stared each other down for a long while, Rivaille glaring and Eren impassive. Finally the raven gave a chuckle.

“Heh.” Rivaille shook his head. “I think I like you with a bit of attitude. Don’t get ahead of yourself, though. Just a little bit of bite is perfect.”

Teal eyes rolled wearily. “I’ll keep that in mind.” The boy muttered.

Rivaille pouted over at the brunette at his less than enthused tone.

“I wish you’d call me darling, too.” The raven voiced, ever hopeful.

“Not going to happen.”

“Aw…”

Blue-green eyes narrowed a little and a sigh escaped the boy's lungs. “Rivaille, you’re a psychopath.” Eren murmured, like he was reminding the smaller man of that fact.

“But a loveable one, surely?”

“Ugh. Of course, ever so loveable.” The brunette rolled his eyes, but couldn’t quite stop a tiny smile from forming on his lips.

“Come on, just once?” Rivaille pleaded, crawling closer. “I might even consider forgiving you for this whole cheating business, just say my name, tell me something sweet. Please? For me?”

The raven crawled into the brunette’s lap, licking at Eren’s fingers when the boy’s hands came up hesitantly. Making up his mind, Eren slid his arms around Rivaille’s shoulders to pull him closer, giving a longsuffering sigh through his nose as he situated the raven in his lap with his ear resting over the boy’s chest.

“I’m sorry for causing you pain, Rivaille.” The brunette began, holding the raven a little tighter when he felt him sneer and start to shift. “You don’t have to admit it if you don’t want to. Just know that I know. And that I’m sorry. I can’t promise that we can be what you want…but I’m not giving up on you either. I’ll make this up to you…then we can work things out from there.”

“You’re honestly apologising right now?” Rivaille asked, tone incredulous.

Eren only shrugged, just a little rise and fall motion of his shoulders. “I recognise when I’ve done something wrong.”

The raven-haired demon made a face.

“You sappy piece of shit.”

Eren scoffed, pushing the raven's shoulders as he set him free. “Whatever, old man.” The brunette brushed the comment aside. “You're the one who asked for something sweet.” He reminded. “You might be a terrifying motherfucker, but that doesn’t mean that you deserve to be hurt. No one deserves that kind of betrayal.”

The boy realised that, knew it to be truth, and yet still sought the comfort of another. It was almost laughable in the raven's eyes. Or at least it would have been if he had been able to laugh through the ache in his chest.

“Then why did you do it?” Rivaille asked instead, his sharp tone absent for once.

Eren's attention turned on the raven at his quiet tone, concern colouring teal eyes.

“I didn’t mean to.” The boy said the words like an oath. “I was only planning on keeping him around as leverage at first. But…then we talked, you saw…he wasn’t the scared little mortal I thought he would be.” Eren paused, breathing in. “He’s strong…like you.”

“Tch.” The raven made a derisive sound, rolling his eyes.

“He is.” The brunette argued, shocked quiet by the raven's sudden harsh bark of laughter.

“Yes, I saw from the way he held you up that time.” Rivaille snapped, huffing out a frustrated breath shortly afterwards. He glared at the floor. “You sure were eager for him.”

Of all the things to do, Eren chuckled.

“Jealous?” He called, teasing.

Silver eyes narrowed to irritated slits. “Fuck you.”

More laughter from the brunette, a little more light hearted at last. The boy shook his head with a little grin, appraising the raven with an amused gaze.

“You know, I’m actually glad that I’ve found something that gets under your skin.” Eren admitted with a smirk. “Maybe I can actually learn something about you now that I’ve put a chink in your armour?”

Rivaille only scoffed. “Good luck trying.”

Eren's smirk softened to a little smile. He would try and, with a little luck and plenty of effort, he would succeed. It wouldn't be easy, especially now with Rivaille thirsting for revenge. But careful attention and extra caution would help. Levi would be safe as long as Rivaille was trapped in Hell. As long as Eren could help it, he would keep the psychotic raven from reaching the living world.

Although speaking of the living world...

“I’ve got to get back at some point.” Eren announced suddenly, voice small.

There had been several moments during the boy's stay in Hell where he wondered if he would ever make it back to see Levi. The chances of ever leaving the dying world again had been growing slimmer by the day, particularly over this past day and night.

As anticipated, Rivaille's eyes snapped up. The brunette had not been expecting the level of worry in the other demon's silvery orbs, but it was welcome nonetheless. As long as Rivaille was worried about him, it meant that he cared for him. And if Rivaille cared for him, then the boy could find ways to persuade him out of harming Levi. Hopefully.

The raven shifted, fighting back the urge to move closer. “When?”

Steeling himself for any potential resistance, Eren replied. “Tomorrow.”

“How do you know that I'll let you leave?” The raven challenged, considering locking the brat up again.

It wasn't as if he didn't have ample reason to.

Instead of resisting, or even arguing, Eren pulled the most innocent expressions the raven-haired demon had ever seen. The boy sat, sweet-faced, wide-eyed, with his legs crossed and his back straight, hands placed neatly in his lap.

“I hope that you'll be generous enough to allow your mate some time to replenish after the rough treatment.” The brunette babbled, hands clasped together to emphasise the plea. “I only wish to go there to feed-”

“And to be with your mortal beau.” Rivaille interrupted with a sneer.

“That too, I was getting to it.” Eren shrugged, nonchalant.

It wasn't the news that the raven wanted to hear, but it was the truth. A dejected sigh rattled free from the raven's lungs.

“We wouldn’t want your dear pet human to fret, would we?” Rivaille muttered despondently.

Eren made a soft sound, scooting closer and reaching out to run his hands over his mate's shoulders.

“I’ll only be there for a day or two at most.” The boy promised.

Rivaille looked a lot like a spoilt child whose toy was being taken away after a tantrum. It was kind of endearing, really.

The raven let his head fall forward, bumping into Eren's shoulder and he made a moody sound. “Their time or our time?”

“Two days on the other side, depending on the circumstances.”

“Just don't keep me waiting for too long,” Rivaille grumbled, “or I might be inclined to pay your little friends a visit over at castle Jaeger.”

Eren leaned in and bit at the raven's ear in reprimand, hearing the startled sound it drew from the smaller demon who reeled back, rubbing the offended skin.

“You'll do no such thing.” The brunette scolded, sounding very much like a displeased parent addressing a misbehaving child.

The raven pouted, an odd look on the face that was usually frowning. Well, that was Levi. Eren supposed he should apply those attributes to Rivaille.

“I get bored easily,” the smaller demon complained, “remember that.”

“I know.” Eren smiled, pulling Rivaille's pouting lip gently between his thumb and forefinger, tugging gently. It was a miracle that he didn't get bitten. “I'll return quickly enough.” He promised. “I just need to check in, make sure he’s coping, find out if his creepy ex is still a-stalkin’.”

Rivaille frowned. “Ex?”

“His previous partner.” Eren explained, making a face. “Total bastard.” A darkness flickered behind the brunette's eyes and he growled. “I ought to have ripped his lungs out long before now.”

“Heh.” Rivaille chuckled, nestling a little closer. “That sounds like my Eren.” He purred, nuzzling the crook of the boy's neck. “Still, if you need any help with tearing lungs out,” the raven paused, craning his neck to latch his mouth onto the soft skin under Eren's jaw, sucking a mark into the skin before pulling back, “…I may be willing to help you, if you ask me nicely.”

Eren stifled a groan, shaking his head. “You mean if I let you fuck me.” He stated.

A soft huff of a laugh escaped the raven. “You know me so well.”

“You’re so charming.” Eren muttered.

Rivaille stuck his tongue out at the boy in response. They both knew how very un-romantic he was, at least by the most commonly known standards. If given the chance, the dark-haired demon could satisfy every last one of his young mate's needs. With time, perhaps he could prove that.

For now, however, it seemed that just getting past this damned human of Eren's would be a challenge. This Levi had sunk his claws into the boy far deeper than Rivaille had expected.

“What, have you got to get permission from your human to bond with your own damned mate?” The raven scoffed, not used to being second best.

Eren only sent him a little smile. “I think he’d appreciate a heads up.”

Great. A fucking human was calling the shots on Rivaille's own sex life now. This couldn't get any more ridiculous.

The smaller demon ran a hand over his face with a groan. “Perfect.” He muttered. “Just fucking perfect.”

Eren felt a little bad for his mate, but Rivaille had had the boy all to himself for ages and he had not made a move to claim him. Fated one or no, Rivaille couldn't expect Eren to choose him just because they had been involved longer. If you could even call it that. Rivaille had known the brunette longer, but Levi had treasured him first.

And yet the boy somehow knew that Rivaille wouldn't give up so easily. He never had before.

“We’ll start slow.” Eren murmured, promised. They might not move to seal their bond right away, but surely they could build up to that? It was inevitable, but the brunette would put it off in the hopes that Rivaille would learn. “That should be able to curb your appetite for a while, right?”

Silver eyes flashed and Rivaille lurched forward to grasp the boy's shoulders. “As soon as you get back.” He said, the words like an order. “Swear it.”

“Fine, as soon as I get back.” The brunette conceded, unable to keep himself from smiling a little when the raven ducked into his arms, curling closer. “You’d better play nicely, though.”

The smaller demon hummed when tan fingers threaded through his hair. “For you, dearest? Always.”

Teal eyes rolled a little at the comment. “I wish you were always this agreeable.” Eren mused, giving a little sigh. “Then I might be inclined to call you _darling_.”

The brunette nearly jumped when Rivaille gave a little moan where he sat, still wrapped in the boy’s arms. His head tipped back to look up into the taller male's eyes.

“Fuck, it sounds so much more sensual coming from you.” Rivaille crooned, reaching up to cradle the boy's head in his hands. “Say it again, would you, dear?”

Eren sent his mate a deadpan look. “If I didn’t think you’d cum from the sound alone, I might have.” He muttered, smirking a little when Rivaille grumbled petulantly. “Once is more than enough for today.” The boy paused to correct himself. “Tonight, actually.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” The raven-haired demon groaned, slumping against the boy's chest and casting an arm over his eyes. “Were we actually getting along earlier?” He questioned in a disbelieving tone. “It feels like it’s been days since then.”

The brunette couldn't agree more. The night had started off so well, so very pleasantly. One little slip in his focus and suddenly a nightmare had been born. Nothing would be easy now...and it was entirely his fault. But it was too late to regret what had happened now. It was gone and passed, over with and beyond his reach. The only thing he could do now was ensure that he was careful about the decisions to come.

“You can say that again.” The boy murmured in agreement.

“Let’s just sleep now, shall we?” Rivaille implored wearily. “I feel stupidly exhausted.”

Eren wanted nothing more than to lay strewn in his nest of blankets and sleep. But after everything that had transpired, would he be sleeping alone?

“Are you…going to return to your own chamber?” The brunette enquired in a small voice, uncertain.

Silver eyes flicked up to regard the boy. “Not unless you’re coming with me?” Rivaille said hopefully.

“Har har, no thank you.” The boy muttered with a roll of his eyes. “Not tonight at any rate.”

“Then shut up and lay down.” Rivaille retorted, pushing away from the younger male and heading for the blankets. “I want to find a warm spot.”

Sighing, Eren followed after his mate, shivering as his bare skin brushed the cold stone.

“Can I have my pants back, please?” The brunette asked, kneeling by the edge of the heap of blankets.

Turning back to the teal-eyed boy, the raven appraised the younger demon, eyes raking up and down his form once.

“No.” The smaller male replied curtly.

It was a petty thing, but if he couldn't be angry about who Eren was sleeping with, then he would find vengeance in some other way. It was only fair, at least in Rivaille's own mind.

“Rivaiiiiiillle!” Eren whined in complaint, his tail thumping against the stone in tantrum.

“I said no.” The raven muttered, arranging the bedding. “Consider this revenge for cheating on me with my own reflection.” Rivaille made a face and huffed petulantly. “That’s not even fair, I can’t even be mad.”

The pair settled to rest, not without several ensuing arguments. The brunette hadn’t been able to hide his laughter when Rivaille had assigned himself as the ‘big spoon’ and curled against the boy’s back. This, of course, had resulted in a brief tussle that had the two males tumbling about in a tangled mess of limbs and blankets for a short few minutes at Rivaille’s indignation, but at last the pair of demons sprawled, too weary to care much about which of them had won the miniature brawl. It was cold without the fire, but Eren allowed his eyes to slip shut as Rivaille curved against his back once more. The boy’s abnormally warm skin provided the perfect comfort on such a night and the raven gave a little sound of contentment when he felt the brunette’s tail curl back around his waist; a sound that Rivaille would deny profusely in the morning.

Eren wondered what time it was in Levi’s world. Would Rivaille truly forgive him for choosing another creature? Even under the circumstances, it wouldn’t be easy. The older demon was fiercely jealous and possessive to the point where it was terrifying. Should he ever get through to the living world...Eren didn't even want to think about what might happen. It wouldn't be difficult for Rivaille to track Levi down if he got there and the boy dreaded to think what his mate might do. Levi was strong for a human, but against a demon? Against a demon as formidable as Rivaille? There was no chance that he would survive...no chance in Hell. No, Eren suspected that much more conflict would arise from this one simple choice he had made. But, at least in the present, he, his mate, and his human were happy enough. Eren only prayed that it would last.

  
  


  
  


“I don't care. I don't believe. But I feel. I feel.” – IAMX, The Unified Field.

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to be leaving you guys in the lurch for a while, it's just too busy. *tears for days* I'll write more when the holidays come. Until then, thank you all so much for reading and for all the kudos and comments! You all make the writing worth it :)  
> Take care until next time! I'll try to post on tumblr (haberkonium) to clarify some things about demons and what not, so if you're confused about anything, have a look there first :) Likewise, if you have any questions, feel free to ask ^_^


	39. Taking Off The Mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, mini-chapter, remember how I wasn't supposed to be writing? Yeah, I failed. Ignore me.  
> *hides*  
> Guess what song I was listening to during this chapter. Refer to quote.  
> Warning: feels. Many feels.

“I have died everyday waiting for you. Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years. I'll love you for a thousand more.” - Christina Perri, A Thousand Years.

***

 

Darkness; the sky was slowly losing its light as the sun dipped towards the horizon. The air was cold, the biting chill a welcome tingle on tan skin as a boy with bright teal eyes stepped suddenly from the speckled silver glass of a tarnished mirror.

The brisk air nipped at the brunette’s warm skin, each of his breaths escaping as small puffs of fog. Blue-green eyes darted about quickly, left, then right, to check for any poor unfortunate mortals who might have seen his entrance. Not a soul stirred within the alley and Eren huffed. He had rather been hoping for some unlucky fool to have stumbled across him. At least then he would have had an excuse to consume them. No witnesses and what not.

Still, no matter. There would be time enough for feeding once the boy had located his human. Once Levi was happy and warm and soundly asleep, then Eren would go hunting. Until then, he could wait. At least, that's what he had thought.

Approaching the street, the boy became more and more aware of how keenly his senses were tuned in. After time in Hell, and particularly having to strain his senses in fear of his mate's infamous surprise appearances, Eren found himself more alert than he needed to be.

Every little sound crashed in the anxious demon's ears, causing his eyes to flit about warily. A car honked loudly to the brunette's left, causing the teal-eyed boy to give a start, feral eyes snapping in the direction of the noise. He had to remind himself to calm down. There were barely any threats here, most humans couldn't harm him if they wanted to. Even if a car were to run him down, the brunette could be up and walking again in a few minutes if he needed to. Sure, it would hurt like hell to put newly healed bones to work so soon after recovering, but it wasn't impossible.

That thought comforted the boy as he carried on, hurrying to get home. The slightest movement had him on edge, ready to pounce and tear out the throat of the nearest threat. People crowded the pavement, far too many for Eren's liking. The last thing a ravenous demon needed was a multitude of walking meals traipsing about.

Just then a middle-aged woman had the brilliant idea to bump into the boy. Eren spun on his heel so fast that he was almost a blur, hissing fiercely before his eyes took in the startled look on the woman's face.

The brunette's features morphed into a surprised look and he placed a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder.

“I am so sorry, ma'am.” The boy apologised.

“Whatever is the matter with you?”

“Injured shoulder.” Eren replied, retrieving his hand and ducking his head to show respect. “Please forgive my insolence.”

With one last apology, the brunette made his escape and melted off into the crowd.

Christ, was this what a week with Rivaille did to him? He couldn't even walk down a damned street without baring his teeth at some helpless mortal. The boy could only imagine how savage he might have gotten over the course of a month or more. Levi would hardly have recognised him. Even now it was difficult to keep up any sort of normal appearance, taking long, brisk steps that caught him a few odd glances from passers by. Forcing himself not to glare at the nosey mortals, the brunette continued on until his feet carried him to the apartment complex where Levi resided.

The boy's eyes widened slowly as his excitement grew at the prospect of seeing his Levi again. If anyone had been around at the time, they might have seen a streak of colour zoom off from where the brown-haired boy had been standing only moments ago.

Eren tore up the stairs, almost taking out a young girl on the way up, but the most she could do was blame it on a sudden and very violent gust of wind. Her eyes were unable to make out an actual humanoid form as the boy moved too rapidly.

Pausing outside the door to Levi's flat, Eren hesitated, drawing in several deep breaths. He felt nervous at the idea of seeing the mortal again, excited and yet anxious.

Shaking himself out, the brunette stepped closer. The door would be locked, Levi was too sensible to leave it open, not even for him. It didn't dishearten the boy, on the contrary, he was pleased that his human was smart like that. Besides, what was a locked door to a demon?

The answer? Nothing at all.

Hand pressed against the door over the lock, long fingers spread out and a soft glow of light shone from beneath the boy's palm until the tell-tale click of the lock sounded. The door swung open silently...but Eren hadn't even taken a single step inside the apartment before he realised that something was wrong.

There was nobody home.

It was dark in the flat, dark and cold. The boy could not detect an ounce of body heat inside the apartment, nor could he pick up Levi's scent. The only scent he could detect was days old.

Panic flared within the brunette even as he tore about the flat, burning eyes scanning over everything desperately. Everything seemed to be in order, there was no sign of a struggle of a fight. Perhaps Levi was okay, then?

Wait...what was that?

Ducking lower to the ground, the boy crouched. The strongest remaining scent was, in fact, leading towards the door. Teal eyes lit with flame, lips pulling back to bare white teeth.

“ _Levi_...”

A deep, inhuman growl echoed throughout the empty flat, but there was no one around to hear it. The boy was already gone, darting from the room in a silent streak of shadow. The breeze from the movement was enough to pull the door closed, lock clicking into place once more.

Down the street, Eren rushed on, silent and fixated, flaming eyes focused on the ground. The road that he was following seemed a little familiar and there were less people here, but the pedestrians who did see him only caught brief sight of a passing shadow, come and gone again in a moment.

A mix of panic and white hot rage warred within the demon's head.

What if Erwin had gotten to Levi? What if Rivaille-

No...no, Eren couldn't bring himself to think of it. There was no way that Rivaille could have followed him here. _No way._

Not a chance in Hell.

He would have picked up some trace of his mate by now if Rivaille had slipped through, right?

Eren froze. Was that the reason why his senses were screaming at him more intently than ever? Eyes burning, skin tingling unpleasantly, ears pricked for even the slightest sound, it was with very little grace and care whatsoever that carried Eren down the street after Levi's scent.

The trail wasn't fresh, this couldn't be Rivaille's doing. Eren had only just arrived and what he was following was at least three or four days old. Surely, even a demon as powerful as his raven-haired mate could not disguise a fresh scent trail?

Was this Erwin, then? It seemed more plausible, the brunette hadn't been able to keep an eye on the bastard, he could have gotten to Levi somehow...maybe subdued the raven, as unlikely as that seemed. But why? Why would that blonde prick make such a foolish decision? And why was this fucking route so goddamned familiar?

Houses passed in a blur, trees weaved around as feet flew so quickly across cobbled ground that they almost didn't touch the pavement at all. Eren didn't care that he was beginning to burn, didn't care that someone could see a streak of blue fire tear past their home. The humans could blame whatever they wanted on the strange sighting, no one would catch a glimpse of the now tailed boy bolting along the side-walk.

“ _Has someone turned your head, little fox?”_

Eren gasped in a breath as Rivaille's voice played out in his head, a horrid reminder.

“ _Who has been courting you?”_

Rivaille had been so angry for a moment, but...he had calmed down, hadn't he? He had listened. Rivaille wouldn't do this, wouldn't dare to harm Levi. The black-haired demon should know that if any harm should come to his mortal, then Eren would do everything in his power to make the one responsible pay.

Even if that person was his mate.

Run. Run until you find him. Don't stop, don't pause until he's safe and in your arms.

“ _I'll make them pay.”_

Bare feet flew across the ground, arms pumping even as terrified tears began to build. Eren fought them back.

Levi would be fine. The thought became a mantra in the boy's head, repeated over and over and over again because to consider the alternative was as good as tearing out his own heart.

He'll be fine. He'll be fine.

“He has to be fine.” Eren gasped out the words.

“ _Consider your pathetic beau as good as dead.”_

Time seemed to be passing slowly, each gasped breath echoing in the crisp twilight air.

_...as good as dead..._

A sound like a dying wolf ripped free from the boy's throat, echoing through the empty streets eerily. Teal eyes noticed a few lights flick on in the houses he passed, the yellow glow caught in his periphery, but he didn't so much as slow his stride.

Eren had nearly lost the trail a little ways back, panicking when Levi's scent faded to almost nothing. He couldn't smell him on the pavement anymore, but there was just enough of a trail for him to follow out along the road. Harsh breaths were beginning to fall from the boy's mouth, forced from his lungs by the beginnings of sobs just barely held back by the need to push on. Go forward, keep running until he found Levi. There was nothing else in his mind.

The boy was running so fast that he almost missed the sudden patch of ground where Levi's scent trail became stronger. Initially the brunette blew right passed it, eyes widening as he skidded and turned so fast that he stumbled and went crashing into a wall. Scrambling back out rapidly, he bolted for the pathway, the one new lead that could help him.

Still no scent of Rivaille, but that didn't mean...

Eren paused, looking up. This neighbourhood...the houses...the brunette snapped his head up and around, teal eyes taking in his surroundings. The boy suddenly realised where he was, staring up the driveway that lay before him, the path where Levi's scent was leading him.

Hanji's house.

That was why Eren felt like he remembered this road, why the passing houses and trees had seemed like things he had seen before, if only briefly. That was why everything felt so familiar. But...if Levi was here, then maybe...

Eren found himself calling out, a brief bark of a sound which he quickly realised wouldn't make any sense to a human, and started up the driveway. He had to know, had to find out what had happened, why the raven hadn't been at his home. Had he made it to the house? Had he been running from something? Had he gone anywhere from here?

The boy had made it less than halfway up the concrete path when the sound of a lock clicking had the brunette's eyes snapping up wildly, a question forming on his tongue to ask Hanji as the door swung open.

All the air left the boy's lungs, though, when the figure leaning round the door was not Hanji. Not Hanji, not Erwin and definitely not Rivaille.

“Levi...” Eren breathed, the word almost silent.

Grey eyes stared back at him, a little wider than usual in their surprise. “Brat?” Was the first word that Levi said, tone questioning. “I didn't know you'd be back so soon?”

Eren felt his legs tremble as a wave of relief crashed over him. And suddenly the boy felt exhausted, as if every single one of his years were making themselves known. Knees weak, he didn't even try to fight to stay standing up. The boy slumped to his knees, hands catching himself on the rough pavement of Hanji's driveway as he drew in a sharp breath. And then another. Head hanging forward, the brunette's throat closed when he tried to swallow. Hot tears stung his eyes, creeping up too quickly for the boy to bid them away, and the droplets ran silver trails down Eren's face.

“You're okay...”

The words were barely audible, barely more than a breath ghosting past the brunette's lips, but nothing could have been more important to the boy in that moment.

Levi was here.

Levi was safe.

“Eren?” The raven-haired man asked again.

Just the sound of his voice, soft spoken and laced with concern, was enough to draw a terrible sob from the boy. It was a miserable sound, even though all the boy felt was relief so strong that it was almost draining. Once that first sob escaped his defences, it opened the floodgates. Eren could feel his whole body shaking from the force of the sobs wracking his lean form, could hear the broken sounds that he couldn't seem to control. The sounds leaving his lips were half-strangled and wretched, but he couldn't care less.

The demon almost didn't hear the sound of rushed footsteps hurrying closer, only just managing not to start when a pair of strong arms were suddenly wrapped about his shoulders. Warm and familiar, Levi's warmth was there and his scent was all that mattered. Teal eyes began to close, squeezing shut as the raging relief and hurt and every last feeling bottled up inside of the brunette became too much.

Eren let his head fall back and let out a howl like a man in agony, wailing out a broken cry as his tears got the better of him. The sound was loud, all too loud for the quiet neighbourhood that they were in, and barely passing for human at this point but the boy couldn't hold back the terrible cries. He let himself break down, let himself cry because he didn't have to be brave here. He didn't have to be strong when he was wrapped in Levi's arms.

Here, not alone, he could be the boy trapped by eternity rather than the warrior, the monster craving human flesh who needed to be merciless to survive. All Eren wanted, all he needed in this moment, was to be the boy that Levi knew. The raven held him, silent in his shock, but his grip was firm around the brunette's shoulders.

Gently, the smaller male hushed the boy quietly, soothing as best he could with quiet murmurs.

Levi was worrying and panicking and Eren knew that he didn't deal well with tears but he couldn't help it because Levi was _alive_. He was alive and right there.

Long arms reached up, tentatively at first, then wrapped around Levi's shoulders like a vice and Eren didn't plan on ever letting go. Levi was frozen for a moment, but soon enough the raven was winding his own arms around the boy's chest, under Eren's arms, the tight hold bringing comfort to the wailing brunette.

The boy was crying like a young girl who had lost her one and only sweetheart to the war, distraught and inconsolable.

“Wh-What's wrong?” Levi's voice carried through to Eren's ears, but even the other man's stuttering couldn't bring the boy from his sobbing. “Please, kid, talk to me?”

Eren couldn't talk, the only sounds that seemed to be escaping his throat were broken sobs. He pulled Levi closer still, trying not to hurt the raven with his grip. His tail swished up, snaking around the smaller male's waist tightly as a shaky breath rattled free of Eren's lungs, his fingers clutching at the material of Levi's shirt.

What was wrong? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Everything was just right. Levi was unharmed and currently in the safest place on Earth; in Eren's arms. The agonised wailing had died down to silent sobs that wracked the boy's form as he held onto the raven like his life depended on it.

“Jesus, Eren!” The raven hissed upon noticing the boy's tail, as if his shaggy hair hadn't been enough to reveal that he was not currently keeping up his mortal guise.

The fact that the brunette didn't seem at all concerned about this fact was a major worry for the smaller man. All Eren seemed concerned about was holding onto Levi as if the man might disappear and slip from his grasp if he eased his grip even a little. Grey eyes darted around to make sure that they were alone. So far so good, but Levi wanted to get the boy inside as quickly as possible.

“Eren, come on, please,” Levi implored, his chest aching with every sob that came from the boy, “someone will see you.”

“I don't care.” The boy blubbered, burying his face against the raven's chest. “I love you, Levi.”

The raven seemed to freeze in Eren's grasp, but the brunette only held him tighter. He had tried to tell the raven before and failed, and the gut wrenching terror that had gripped him moments before was enough to make any apprehension fade away.

Pulling back and out of the crushing embrace, Eren lunged forward to press his mouth against Levi's in a feverish kiss. His hands came up to cup the raven's face, cradling his head and peppering his face with kisses. Levi's eyes were wide and confused, shocked, but the brunette couldn't explain anything just yet.

Not until he made his human understand.

Levi was breathless by the time the boy pulled back again, only backing up far enough to speak. Teal eyes bore into startled grey and Eren would have shared everything with this man, shown him his very soul if it wouldn't terrify the mortal to see the horrors that the brunette had lived through.

“I love you.” Eren said the words again, feeling his throat closing again but he forced himself to swallow. He had more to say and nothing was going to stop him from getting the words out. “I love you, my god, my darling, my all. I love you so much that it makes me ache inside and I was scared, so scared, that I wouldn't ever get to tell you.”

Quiet descended, other than the soft sobs that still escaped Eren's lips every once in a while as he buried his face in the corner of the raven's shoulder.

Levi had no idea to respond, stunned into silence. Of course there were three very obvious words that he wanted to get out, but he was still tremendously concerned by the fact that Eren had burst into tears only moments ago.

His silence didn't seem to bother the brunette very much. Eren had his arms about the raven again, pulling him against his chest and crooning, pressing butterfly kisses across any skin he could find. The kid actually started to sort of purr before Levi could find his voice again.

“I...” he tried, only to find his throat closing, mouth suddenly dry as his own emotions caught up with him.

It seemed like it had been a lifetime since those three words had made themselves present in his mind.

Levi didn't say things like 'I love you'. He had once, only to have his heart ripped from his chest and trodden on. It was that precise moment that had shed light on the fact that those three little words didn't hold as much meaning to him as they could have.

Never would the raven have expected Eren to announce that he loved him. Especially not while in tears like the world was about to end and he only had a few last moments with which to convey his feelings. What had this poor kid been through since he left? To spout words like 'I love you', it must have been a trying experience to say the least.

Swallowing, Levi let his eyes slip closed. He didn't want to say I love you. The words felt false as they built on his tongue. The raven-haired man had already said that same thing to a man who had betrayed him and now the very thought of an 'I love you' felt tainted. He wanted something more than that, not having to rely on words that seemed to have lost their meaning in society. Everyone claims to love things and people and places, when in reality the word love had lost so much of its intensity. Love was more akin to like. Levi didn't _like_ Eren. He adored him, he worshipped the boy.

And Eren deserved to know the difference.

Pulling the brunette close and ignoring the slightly startled, questioning sound, Levi took a few breaths to steady his rapidly beating heart. Leaning close until his lips were by the shell of Eren's ear, he spoke.

“I cherish you.” The raven whispered, feeling the boy shiver in his arms.

Eren pulled back a little and, from the way he started sobbing again, lips parted and yet smiling slightly, Levi guessed that his choice of words had conveyed more then a simple repetition of I love you ever could have in that moment. Teal eyes shone with un-shed tears threatening to spill over anew, the brunette lunged forward to capture Levi's lips with his own, accidentally upsetting their balance. Levi grunted as the pair of them crashed back against the hard ground, glowering half-heartedly at the brat who landed on top of him, but he surrendered easily enough to the boy's tongue when it begged for entry, tracing his bottom lip imploringly.

For all his desperation, Eren was surprisingly gently, slow and unhurried in his quest to map out the raven's mouth, down to every last detail. The pair were so consumed in the gentle affection that they didn't hear the soft squeak of the doorknob turning again.

“Eren?” A female voice said suddenly, causing both males to freeze where they lay, sprawled. “Levi didn't tell me you'd be coming round.”

Teal eyes flicked up as the boy rocked back onto his heels, at the same moment that Levi sat up, turning around.

“Hello, Hanji.” The brunette greeted warily, tail twitching despite his best efforts.

“Shame on you guys, making out in the street. Think of the children.” The brown-haired woman grinned.

Hanji's voice was as light hearted and cheerful as ever, just like the boy remembered. Until she frowned, her eyes noticing the few very crucial details that were out of place.

“What's with that getup?” The bespectacled woman enquired, moving to come closer.

“Go back inside, Hanj.” Levi implored, getting to his feet.

He cast a worried look between Hanji and the boy who had made no move to conceal himself. The hair, slightly longer and a little darker in shade, could have been explained. Maybe even the elongated ears and the canine-like teeth.

The tail protruding out from the boy's back, however, would be significantly more difficult to explain.

Bright eyes calculating, Eren considered his options. It was too late to shift forms, Hanji had already seen him and bursting into flames suddenly would not be a smart decision. That would definitely raise a few questions.

Usually when someone discovered that the brunette was no human...he killed them and ate them. Not necessarily in that order. But Eren didn't want to hurt the woman, nor did he desire to tamper with her memory.

“Is that a tail?” Hanji enquired, eyebrows raised and a curious smile on her face.

Crap. Still, she didn't look...disturbed. Then again, this was Hanji after all. She probably thought that Eren was wearing some costume for a damned play.

Levi turned to shoot the boy a panicked look, his wide eyes and lips pressed tightly together the only sign that the raven was distressed. This was bad, so very bad.

Or was it? Eren wracked his brain for something to say, but he couldn't find an answer to give the woman. His mind was still fairly relaxed, his body still relying on instinct. And his instinct told him to let Levi handle this.

The only thing that the two males could do now was hope that the woman would be gullible enough to buy into whatever explanation they could come up with.

And they would have to think of something fast.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops indeed. What will happen now that Hanji has seen Eren's half-demon form? Will Levi and Eren be able to play it off? Or will drastic measures have to be taken into consideration?


	40. Not Cosplay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. Finally. Updated. T_T  
> I'm so sorry. This shouldn't have taken so goddamned long. Please forgive me.  
> Enjoy!

“I know I’m a wolf, and I’ve been known to bite, but the rest of my pack, I have left them behind.” – Young Heretics, I Know I’m A Wolf.

***

 

“Seriously, Eren, how did you get your tail so lifelike?” An excitable Hanji enquired, firing question after question at the boy from where she stood on the porch. “What's making it move? Robotics? No, we'd hear it moving. Some kind of light projection, maybe?”

Of course the universe wouldn't cut them a break. Of fucking course. Give him hell hounds and Rivaille's wrath any day, he would take it all over this. All that the brunette wished to do was sleep curled next to his human. He did not want to think, did not want to speak any more.

And yet that just so happened to be exactly what needed to happen in order for he and Levi to get out of this situation.

Speaking of the aforementioned raven, Levi didn't seem to be thinking up all that many excuses either. The raven-haired man was still standing near to the boy, just about as still as a person could achieve, and staring at Hanji with concerned grey eyes.

Eren kept his eyes locked on the bouncing brown-haired woman. All that the trio had succeeded in doing was stare at one another for the past few moments, the brunette regarding Levi and waiting ever so patiently for him to explain to Hanji what was going on.

Unfortunately, Levi had yet to come up with an excuse and Hanji was only growing more curious with their silence.

“Come on, guys, you can tell me.” The woman began to babble yet again, sounding very much like a small child. “If it's some secret movie thing, I can keep my mouth shut.”

It was not, in fact, a secret movie thing. But it was a secret...or it had been. Until now. Damn it.

Levi shifted, turning his body towards the boy slightly, and murmured in a voice too low for Hanji to hear from where she still stood on the porch.

“Eren, you need to do something.” The raven muttered, grey eyes locked on his friend. “Now.”

“What can I do?” The brunette replied in an equally low tone, shrugging. “She's already seen me.”

“Exactly! That's the problem here!” The raven hissed under his breath at the boy.

Naturally, Levi had every reason to be alarmed; both males knew very well that Eren had had no problem killing people who had hindered him in the past. But this was Hanji, surely the raven knew better than to expect Eren to harm her?

And Eren did not want to hurt Hanji, not even a little bit. She had been nothing but welcoming towards him, not to mention the fact that this woman basically took care of Levi whenever Eren was away. If anything, the boy felt as though he owed the brown-haired woman. But could he really let her in on the knowledge that he was not a flesh and blood human? How would she take such news? Things were risky enough with Levi in the know...but then again, would it really hurt to have someone else know? Especially someone like Hanji who was already so close to his human.

“What does it matter?” The boy sighed, less and less adamant to think up lies about his appearance with each passing moment.

It was not as if he wanted more people to know of his existence, at least not yet, but the more the boy thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. If Hanji _and_ Levi knew that Eren was a demon...then they could look out for each other. Levi wouldn't have to tiptoe around questions with Hanji anymore.

It would be better, wouldn't it?

Levi rounded on him. “Aren't you the one who was constantly telling me not to tell anyone about you?” He hissed, scowling at the boy's nonchalant shrug.

So he had. In fact their whole relationship had started off with Eren's flirtatious threats towards Levi concerning his identity. Ah, good times. Times that seemed a thousand years apart from the chaos of the now.

“It's a little late to worry about that, don't you think?”

Whatever was flying through the raven's head, it was enough for his attention to be divided enough that he didn't really hear Eren's words. Or, if he had, he had done a damned good job of ignoring them.

“Look...maybe you could knock her out?” Levi said so suddenly that Eren was too surprised to even laugh at such a ridiculous ploy. “Then change back to your human appearance and we'll pretend that she fainted and she'll tell us about this weird dream she had where you had a tail and we'll all laugh and everything will be fine?”

Teal eyes flickered over to the raven and Eren arched one brow. Even he had to admit that Levi's so-called plan was ludicrous at best. Levi didn't even have to wait for the boy to speak to know that Eren was not on board with that coo.

“Well do you have a better idea?” The raven-haired man snapped.

“I'm not going to knock her out, are you crazy?”

Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance, trying to rethink his frankly quite terrible plan, but honestly nothing was coming to mind.

“It would be easy,” he offered, tugging at his hair as panic began to build, “you're _not_ killing her.”

“I was never going to kill her, geez.” Eren shot back defensively.

This was going nowhere and every passing moment was making Hanji's face fill with even more confusion as she observed the pair of males bickering back and forth halfway down her driveway. It wasn't a good look, no matter which way one sliced it.

Levi snaked a hand up to tug the boy's head down a little, hissing out a harsh whisper in Eren's ear.

“Then what are we going to do?”

The brunette squirmed in the raven's hold, tossing his head to free himself and rubbing his ear.

“I can't just incapacitate her, Levi,” the boy snapped in a hushed whisper, “I've only just gotten back from Hell. My instincts are still very much in control here.” Teal eyes flicked over to the porch for a moment, colouring with worry, before they turned back to look at Levi. “Just a tiny miscalculation could leave me with a fist full of crushed skull. It's not happening.”

Even Levi looked mildly concerned at that thought, but he didn't shy away from the boy which was comforting in its own right.

“ _Something_ has to happen, Eren, I swear-”

“What's going on, guys? What's with all the whispering?” Hanji interjected from the porch, waving them over. “Come inside already, it's freezing.”

Levi opened his mouth to object, to blurt out some excuse, to anything really, but the brunette by his side seemed to have other ideas.

Eren breezed past the raven, a hand latching onto the man's pale wrist and towing the smaller male along after him. Levi stumbled a little as his gravity shifted with the tug, but righted himself and followed somewhat reluctantly.

What was Eren planning? Surely if they were going inside that meant that the kid had some sort of plan, right? Levi didn't have very much time to think on it, as moments later all three individuals were standing inside Hanji's house. It was all too late to back out now, not without looking even more suspicious. The brunette boy had towed Levi through the front door, down the short hallway and into Hanji's living room where they currently stood facing the brown-haired woman.

She strode right passed the two males with the classic, too bright smile plastered on her face, the kind of smile that only Hanji could pull off without appearing entirely creepy.

“So is anyone going to tell me what the heck Eren is wearing?” The bespectacled woman asked eagerly, clapping her hands together as she spun to face the two males. “I won't judge, guys.”

And there it was, the moment of truth, the explanation that neither Eren nor Levi were really prepared to give. Glancing at Eren, Levi had to struggle not to smack himself in the face when the boy just stood there, calm as ever, like there wasn't a crisis currently unfolding.

“This?” The raven piped up hurriedly, looking at the brunette and wracking his brain for something, anything, that he could say to get them out of this. “This is…it’s cosplay.”

And then it was Eren who looked like he was trying not to smack himself in the face. Well at least now they were even on that front.

Levi was midway through considering whether or not to simply throw himself out the front window when the brown-haired woman raised her eyebrows at his response, but oddly enough...she looked remarkably convinced.

“Cosplay?” The woman repeated. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that character before…” Hanji mused, stepping closer to get a better look at the tail that was twitching behind Eren.

Grey eyes seemed to both widen and narrow at the same time.

No...fucking...way. If this was the idea that Hanji bought, then maybe there had been no reason for panic in the first place. But Jesus fucking Christ, Hanji, really? Of course it wasn't cosplay! No cosplay ever looked this good. Not without a considerable amount of premeditation, at least.

And yet Hanji was still prancing about trying to examine what she believed to be a damned costume.

“How did you make the tail move-”

“It’s just very good cosplay, okay?” Levi interrupted defensively.

“Wow, it’s so realistic.” The brown-haired woman didn't even seem fazed by the raven's snappy tone, leaning ever nearer. “You must be quite the fanatic, huh, Eren?”

“Yep. He is. That's definitely it.” The smaller man nodded fervently.

“What show is this from, then? Anything I might have seen?”

While Levi was busy floundering, Eren ran a hand over his face with an exasperated sigh. This was pointless, lying had never done any good in the past and the brunette couldn't see how keeping Hanji in the dark would help them now.

Turning towards Levi a little, the boy reached out and closed a lean-fingered hand around the raven's forearm.

“Levi,” he murmured, waiting for the man's grey eyes to look at him before continuing, “…it doesn’t matter.”

The words were quiet, soft-spoken and solemn in tone. Not exactly compromising words, but with the way Levi's eyes widened one might think otherwise.

The raven-haired man shook his head, shifting to face the boy. “Don’t, Eren.”

It was a warning, but there was more concern in the raven's voice than reprimand. Levi was worried, for himself, for the boy and for Hanji, but Eren was just so tired. He was tired of trying to keep secrets.

“Why should I have to hide?” The brunette asked, his tone somehow determined and weary all at once.

Levi arched a thin brow at the boy, like he couldn't believe what the taller male was insinuating with his words. Well, if they were really doing this out in the open...

“Uh, because maybe I don’t want you to put my friend in any kind of other-worldly danger?” Levi muttered in response, throwing caution to the wind at last.

Apparently they weren't trying to whisper any more. Eren's eyes followed the smaller man's movements as Levi crossed his arms. Irritation, mild distress and no small amount of panic swirled in the smaller man's grey orbs, but he waited for whatever the brunette was going to say.

“Don’t you think that Hanji should know?” The boy enquired, arching his own brow in turn.

The raven opened his mouth to reply, but Hanji beat him to it.

“Know what?” The brown-haired woman in question piped up at last, confusion colouring her tone.

Teal eyes drifted over to look at the woman, confused and standing there still awaiting some form of explanation. Steeling himself, the brunette drew in a breath.

“This isn’t cosplay, Hanji.”

“Oh?” The woman uttered, still not getting it. “What's it from, then?”

Eren supposed that he had been quite vague, but here came the tricky part; getting Hanji to believe that he was not, in fact, a human could just prove to be a difficult task.

“It's not a costume or an illusion or anything like that.” The boy tried to explain, holding his arms out by his sides a little to draw attention to his form, to the tail curling around his leg, to his pointed ears. He even went so far as to run his tongue over a few sharp teeth. “This is me.”

“Eh?” Hanji uttered, but her eyes did linger over him as she appraised the boy, curiosity furrowing the woman's brows slightly. “I don't think I quite understand what you're trying to say with this.”

She said that, but there was definitely some thought building behind those inquisitive eyes.

“I'm not like you.” Eren said, his tone firm and unyielding as he stood a little straighter, teal eyes steadily glowing. “And I'm not like Levi. I am from the place that you would know as Hell. I have a tail, I eat your kind and I will live forever.”

Hanji stared from Eren to Levi and back again, pausing for a long, tense moment.

“If this is some kind of a joke?” The woman asked after a moment.

“It's no joke.” The brunette assured her, noticing Levi nod in his periphery. “I'm a demon, Hanji. A demonic being from Hell. Levi is mine.”

In all honesty, the last part probably wasn’t strictly a necessary part of Eren’s explanation, but the words had presented themselves without much thought from the boy. And they had felt so right leaving his lips that the brunette couldn’t help but feel pleased once they hung in the air between the trio.

Another long pause filled the room before Hanji’s features twisted a little sarcastically.

“Yeah...good one, guys.” Giving a nod and waving the boy’s words off as if he was pranking her, the brown-haired woman glanced around. “Where's the camera?”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, the boy huffed out an exasperated breath. This was going nowhere.

Levi opened his mouth to say something when suddenly Eren flung out one arm to his left and that whole side of the house shook suddenly, as if an earthquake had struck. The walls trembled, books slipped from shelves, a great crack split the wall beside the three and snaked off along the surface. Teal eyes flicked up in the direction of one of the light bulbs overhead. The boy closed his hand into a fist and the company watched as the glass bulb shattered suddenly, raining shards down over the floor.

Hanji stared, a mixture of shock and disbelief written across her features, as Eren flexed out his fingers again and the shards rose back up off of the ground, flying back up to reassemble themselves. Within moments the light was on again, as if nothing had ever happened. Teal eyes lighting up from within for a moment, Eren drew his arm back in and curled it around Levi. The raven-haired man stood with a hand pressed over his eyes, shaking his head slowly as the house began to right itself once more; books returning to their places, the fissure in the wall closing up like it had never been there, and then everything was still.

Levi's hand slipped from his face as he regarded his friend across the space that separated them. The woman was staring about her home and then gazing at Eren, her eyes wide in disbelief.

“Eren...what did you..?”

A second passed, then two, and then three.

Hanji's knees buckled then, and the woman slumped to the ground.

Levi brought his hand up to cover his face, giving a low groan as he shook his head. Just perfect.

“Oh well done, Eren.” The raven muttered, dragging his hand from his face and pushing it up through his hair with a huff.

The brunette only rolled his eyes, gesturing helplessly at the unconscious brown-haired woman lying in a heap of limbs.

“I had nothing to do with that,” the boy defended, “it happens sometimes.”

Grey eyes narrowed as Levi threw his arms in the air, exasperated as he stabbed a hand at the pile of Hanji on the floor.

“Fix it!”

Eren's hands came up defensively, palms extended in a pacifying gesture. “Fix what? She fainted. What exactly am I supposed to do about that?”

“Why the fuck are you so calm about all this?” Levi snapped, rounding on the boy suddenly. “You just turn up and confess and then suddenly don't give a shit about who finds out that you're not human.”

The brunette stepped back until he could feel the cool timber of the wall against his shoulders, letting himself slide down to the ground to sit. A weary sigh rustled free from his lips as he eyed the raven.

“Does it matter?” Eren asked with a shrug, tilting his head a little.

Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance. “That right fucking there is what I'm talking about!”

“Maybe I expected a warmer welcome?” The brunette hissed, his tail flicking up behind him. “I didn't think you'd be so hostile. That's my Rivaille’s job, not yours.”

Grey eyes swivelled over to meet defiant teal, confusion swimming in those gunmetal orbs. For a moment, Eren had to wrack his brain to recall whether he had even mentioned Rivaille’s name before. Nothing sprang to mind and it shocked the boy that he had very probably only referred to his mate as ‘betrothed’ or ‘fiancée’ up until that point.

“Your mate?” Levi questioned, making the leap without much preamble.

Eren responded with a single nod, wetting his lips briefly. “That’s right.”

The smaller man’s eyes rolled and the brunette couldn’t help but notice the flickering jealousy in Levi’s eyes, not to mention the little sneer that curled the raven’s lips. The boy supposed it was only a natural response; after all, Eren would not want to tolerate Levi seeing someone else as well as him. But that’s just the way the universe had played them.

“Don't compare me to that asshole.” Levi muttered, pacing mildly back and forth beside the brunette. “I'm not the one who locked you up.” He reminded, not that Eren needed him to do so. “You ran to me, so don't accuse me of shit.”

The truth still stung, but Eren couldn’t find it in himself to be angry at the raven-haired man for bringing up such a touchy subject. It was dark outside and cold, they were both on edge and tired; it was only expected that one of them would begin to argue sooner or later.

“I found you by accident.” The boy mumbled, his tone soft, sad almost, as he wondered on the cruelty of the universe. “None of this should ever have happened.”

Eren heard Levi inhale a little sharply through his nose, making a soft sound in response. He hadn’t meant to be cruel or disheartening and the brunette suspected that it was his weariness getting the better of him.

“...right.” The raven murmured in a low tone and when Eren looked up he found the smaller man looking at the floor, jaw tight. “I guess you regret all this, then?”

Chest tightening at the sight of his human in pain, the brunette held out his arms for the raven to come closer. It took a moment, but after a few quiet seconds Levi padded over to where the boy sat. Crouching beside him, the raven allowed Eren to pull him into his arms, the boy nuzzling Levi’s shoulder.

“I regret a lot of things,” the brunette murmured, his voice soft as it whispered against the raven’s skin, “but not the happiness that I’ve experienced having met you.”

“What about having a mortal for a lover? That’s gotta suck, what with you being immortal. You don’t regret it in that respect.”

Eren managed a sad smile at that, recalling how he and Rivaille had discussed the very same issue not too long ago.

“Sometimes I do.” The brunette murmured, an aching sorrow in his voice as the words left his mouth. “It’s true that things would have been a lot simpler if I had never found you.” Eren nudged Levi’s head with his own until the raven turned to look at him. “But I’m a stubborn little shit; I’ve never been one to take the easy way out. I wouldn't change anything.” The boy said, his tone certain before he gave a soft, barely audible laugh. “Were we just fighting?”

Levi shrugged, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Sometimes I can’t even fucking tell.”

Smiling a little at that, the boy exhaled, nuzzling the raven’s shoulder. “Hn.”

The pair sat there for a moment, letting the silence wrap itself around them and wondering why the quiet felt so comfortable all of a sudden. Hanji still lay in a sprawled heap on the ground, showing no signs of stirring any time soon, and the raven-haired man rolled his eyes at the sight.

“So...” Levi broke the silence with a quiet murmur, “I'm going to hazard a guess and say that your precious Rivaille is the reason that you're so...nonchalant?”

Eren managed a small hum of amusement at that, smirking a little at the raven’s choice of words.

“You both do that...” the boy murmured in reply.

Levi turned to face him a little more, arching an eyebrow in silent query. “Do what?”

The brunette was smiling gently as he took one of Levi’s hands in his own, tracing patterns on the back of the raven’s hand with a thumb.

“You both refer to each other as 'Eren's precious this' or 'Eren's precious that' because you're bitter towards one another.”

Yet another similarity between the human beside him and his demonic counterpart, although this one was slightly more endearing to the boy. Both Rivaille and Levi could be quite possessive when they wanted to be, particularly where Eren was concerned. When the boy thought about it…it was kind of nice whenever either of the ravens fussed over him. If only it could be like that all the time. But, alas, the brunette feared that such a thing would never come to be.

“Oh wow, common ground,” Levi drawled beside him in a less than thrilled tone, “just what I wanted.”

Eren gave a snort at that, shaking his head. “You've both got the sarcasm down, too.”

Levi scoffed off to one side. “Christ, why don't we all just fucking get married and resolve this shitfest?”

Teal eyes blew wide and suddenly Eren was leaning over Levi, pressing the smaller male back against the floor almost eagerly.

“Eh? Would you?” The brunette questioned, eyes owlish and round in surprise.

“No, you shit,” the raven tutted, reaching up to flick the boy between the eyes, “I was joking.”

“Aw.” Eren pouted.

It only served to make Levi smirk fondly up at him. “There’s the brat I remember.”

 

It took a good twenty minutes, but at last Hanji began to stir once more. Eren would have found the sight amusing if Levi hadn't been scowling so fiercely. Much more discussion had taken place during the time in which Hanji had remained out for the count, and most of it had consisted of what exactly the two males were going to do or say when said woman woke up.

So instead of laughing, Eren stood patiently until the brown-haired woman jerked up off the floor with a startled sound.

“Welcome back, shitty glasses.” Levi drawled, handing the woman a glass of water.

The bespectacled woman snapped her eyes to the glass, and then glanced rapidly between Levi and Eren. For a moment, the boy wondered if Hanji might be terrified of him. It wouldn’t have been a surprise; most humans reacted with fear after encountering their first demonic being. Even Levi had been a little spooked when Eren had transformed in front of him the first time around.

But then a grin split Hanji’s face.

“Best. Surprise. EVER!” The woman exclaimed, snatching the glass from Levi's hand and downing the contents in seconds.

Grey orbs rolled as Levi took the now empty cup from his friend's twitching hands.

“I should have known you'd be fucking excited.” He grumbled half-heartedly, truthfully a little bit relieved that Hanji at least hadn’t started screaming.

The raven tossed the empty glass to Eren who caught it and deposited it into the kitchen so quickly that he was but a blur of colour. Hanji watched with wide eyes, excitement building steadily as she witnessed the boy disappear and then skid back into view moments later. If she had blinked, she may have missed the whole thing.

Glancing around, the brown-haired woman frowned at the floor on which she was seated. “Why am I on the ground?” She enquired, glancing over at Levi with a confused frown. “What happened?”

“You passed out.” The raven replied bluntly.

“I did?” Hanji asked, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise at the information. “Well dang, that's never happened before.”

From his place by the hallway, Eren shifted sheepishly. “Sorry about that, Hanji.” The boy apologised, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Most mortals don't deal so well with the supernatural.”

The bespectacled woman nodded rapidly, taking in every new piece of information that she received. It didn’t stop her from asking questions, though.

“Did Levi pass out when he first saw you?” The woman asked, shooting a quick glance at her petite friend.

“No, but he only saw a transformation.” Eren said, smiling a little as he recalled Levi's shock when the brunette had caught fire in his living room.

“Aw, that’s no fun.” The brown-haired woman replied, smirking a little when Levi shot her his middle finger and mouthed a very clear ‘fuck you’ from where he stood.

“I can't believe I fainted.” Hanji complained, mostly ignoring the immature display from the raven-haired man.

“It's nothing unusual;” Eren condoled with a sympathetic smile, “most humans are a little disturbed when they find out about other-worldly creatures. Just be grateful that it was me you met.”

“Yeah,” the raven nodded, giving a hum of agreement, “his boyfriend probably would have given you a brain tumour.” Levi muttered, jerking a thumb in Eren’s direction.

At this, Hanji frowned, her brows furrowing.

“Boyfriend?” She repeated in a questioning tone, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two males. “But Levi, aren't you-”

“He means my mate,” Eren interjected, understanding that Hanji did not have any knowledge of his betrothed as of right then, “my demon partner. Levi is my boyfriend, Rivaille is my mate.”

The woman’s brows only knitted themselves together further. “Eh?”

Levi clicked his tongue where he stood, shaking his head a little as he glanced off towards the middle distance.

“It'd be ironic if it didn't suck so much.” He muttered absently in a dry tone.

Eren wrinkled his nose and gave a nod. “You’re telling me.”

“I'm confused.” Hanji interjected, rubbing at her head a little.

“Sorry, Hanj, there's a shitload to take in.” The raven-haired man said through a sigh, running a hand over his face. “I'll explain all this later.”

“Later?” The bespectacled woman reiterated with a frown. “Don't you give me later, young man, I want to know everything! And I want to know now!”

Levi pinched the bridge of his nose; demanding Hanji was starting to break through and it was far to late to indulge her endless questioning.

“Eren is just a bit busy right now, Hanji.” The raven muttered, still rubbing at the bridge of his nose in an exasperated manner. “And don't you 'young man' me.” He said, rolling his eyes. “Don't do it to Eren either, he's hundreds of years old.”

“Oh?” Hanji turned mischievous eyes on the brunette still standing by the hall. “Bit of a cradle snatcher then, huh Eren?”

Eren’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, not a single word coming to mind with which he could respond. In the end, the brunette simply raised his hands and applauded the brown-haired woman slowly.

Levi smacked his palm against his forehead. “That's honestly the first thing you're going to say? You just learned that your best friend's boyfriend is a fucking Hell-fiend and you're worried about age gaps?” Levi let out an odd laugh, shaking his head. “I fucking love you, Hanji.”

“You're taking all of this rather well.” Eren observed.

The boy stood impossibly still, the only movement was his tail twitching behind him and the occasional flicker of teal eyes. For once there was no smile curving Eren's lips, no cheeky light in his eyes, nothing but calm calculation. He looked, for all intents and purposes, every bit like the demon he was. A little flickering of blue-green flames licked through the boy's hair every once in a while.

Eren seemed almost alarmingly unabashed in his current state, standing proud and without shame. The boy held no worry for the fire that kept lighting itself about his limbs, nor did he seem all that concerned about startling either of the humans present with his pointed teeth and burning eyes. It was honestly the most comfortable that the boy had ever looked in his demon form, even a toned down form such as this one. Levi doubted that he would ever witness Eren in his truest demonic state, but maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. The kid could be scary enough even without a tail.

Hanji was laughing slowly, the sound tinged with disbelief. “I'm honestly still trying to convince myself that you're not real.” The woman murmured, looking over at Eren in awe. “This...it has to be some kind of dream, right?”

“It's not a dream.” Levi muttered, even going so far as walking over and pinching his friend’s arm just to prove to her that she was, in fact, awake.

Eren was really there in her house with a tail and vicious teeth and elfin ears, there was an honest to goodness demon inside her home and the woman wasn’t even concerned about that.

“Thank God!” She all but shouted, breaking down into a fit of excited laughter.

Eren's lips quirked up into a sardonic smile at the exclamation; if only Hanji knew that there was no God to thank. He didn't bother to mention this, however, as no doubt Levi would be left to fill her in once the brunette had returned to the dying world once more.

“Hanji...I need you to listen,” Levi began, already taking control of the situation, “you can't tell anyone about this.”

As soon as the words left the petite man’s mouth, Hanji was pouting.

“Not even Moblit?” She asked hopefully.

Levi had to scoff at that. “Are you kidding me? Moblit would have a heart attack and die if he knew about Eren.”

Hanji gave a quiet chuckle, nodding in agreement. “So that's a no?” She asked, because Hanji wouldn’t be Hanji if she didn’t double check.

“That's a fuck no.” The raven deadpanned in response, arms folded across his chest to reinforce his point.

“Aw.” The bespectacled woman responded.

“I'm serious, Hanji.” Levi muttered, grey eyes narrowing. “It's dangerous.”

“Alright, alright,” the brown-haired woman nodded, knowing full well that this was not the time to mess with her raven-haired friend, but she held up her hand to make a point of her own, “but I want a condition.”

Levi frowned, opening his mouth to tell her that something like that was out of the question, but Eren spoke up first.

“Name it.” The boy said, his tone solemn.

Hanji’s attention drifted from Levi to the boy and she smiled cheerily. “You have to come to my lab sometime.”

The raven felt like beating his head against the wall. He should have expected something like this to happen, _of course_ Hanji would want to experiment and run tests on a fucking demon.

“Hanji, no.” Levi said, letting out a frustrated sigh. “You are not experimenting on my boyfriend.”

“I am.” The brown-haired woman argued.

“It's fine, Levi.” Eren spoke up, pacing over to the raven and running a hand up Levi’s arm to his shoulder. “If it'll keep her satisfied enough to keep this a secret...then I don't mind.”

“EEEEEEE!”

Levi groaned, covering his ears and stomping off towards the kitchen.

Eren watched the smaller man go, his eyes questioning.

“Levi?” The boy called gently, the sound barely audible over Hanji’s excited squealing.

“I'm making tea,” the raven uttered over his shoulder, rolling his eyes at his friend rolling about on the floor, “come get me when the witch stops cackling.”

And with that, the raven-haired man disappeared down the hall. Eren watched him go with a sigh, turning his gaze back to Hanji who looked just about ready to burst with excitement.

“Are you really okay with me being a demon?” The brunette enquired after a moment of quiet.

Well, quiet on his part anyway.

“Okay?” Hanji paused in her laughter to speak, her eyes bright and wide like a child that had just been given a box full of puppies. “I think it's amazing!” The woman exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air.

“Really?”

“Of course! Yesterday I would never have imagined another world alongside ours! You really must tell me all about it! Maybe not right now, but you will tell me, right? Right, Eren?”

“Of course.” The boy assured her, smirking at her excited babbling. He would have never expected things to go this well, it was almost a miracle, or it would have been if Eren believed in those kinds of things. “Although I have to leave in a day or so, but Levi could give you enough information to satisfy some queries at least.”

“Ah, I guess I can wait then.” The brown-haired woman sighed with a smile, finally beginning to calm down. “Levi will probably get annoyed with all my questions.”

A fond smile was directed towards the kitchen as Eren looked after where the raven had disappeared.

“I'm sure he'll manage.” The brunette murmured.

“Of course.” Hanji replied, although there was an odd tone of understanding in her voice now that Eren couldn’t quite place. It sounded almost knowing. “Speaking of the little urchin, I think you should go check up on him.” The woman smiled gently at the boy when he looked back at her. “He's been missing you...and now I guess I can see why.”

Eren's head turned in the direction of the kitchen even before Hanji had finished speaking, a little smile curving his lips up before he disappeared down the hall in at an inhuman rate. It felt so freeing suddenly, to not have to cater to human expectations. At least with Levi and Hanji, Eren could be more like himself.

Levi jumped, startled, when a pair of arms wound around his waist from behind suddenly, but he relaxed a little at the apologetic sound that Eren crooned in his ear moments later.

The raven-haired man was busy stirring sugar into one of three tea cups, although Eren suspected that Levi would drink his own tea without anything to sweeten it. The pair stood in companionable silence for several pleasant moments as Levi finished preparing the tea. Eren accepted his mug with a word of thanks when it was passed back to him, downing the warm contents in a moment and setting the cup back down on the counter before Levi had even taken his first sip.

“Show off.”

A tiny smirk curved the boy’s lips but he hid the smile against Levi’s shoulder, just resting for a little while and listening to the sounds of his human breathing, and the occasional swallow as he drank. It was peaceful, comforting to feel the warmth and life beneath his fingertips once more.

“Levi?” Eren murmured softly, his lips by the raven’s ear.

“Hn?”

“I'm tired.”

Levi turned in the boy’s hold, setting his cup down behind him. Eren did look sleepy and God knows what the poor kid had suffered in Hell.

“I'm staying in the guest room here, if you want to sleep now?” The raven offered, caressing the boy’s jaw with a gentle hand.

Leaning into the touch, Eren nuzzled the hand cradling his jaw as he spoke. “When are you going to bed?”

“Soon.” Levi replied, giving a soft, amused exhale through his nose. “I just need to make sure that Hanji knows not to go into creepy spy mode or else you might wake up in the middle of the night with her hanging from the ceiling or some shit.”

Well that certainly sounded alarming. Eren’s eyebrows rose up as the raven’s words sunk into his tired brain.

“She can do that?”

Levi shrugged. “Probably. She's tracked gorillas before.”

“Oh...”

Smirking, the raven turned the boy around and coaxed him towards the door, his hands pressed to the small of Eren’s back.

“You go on ahead,” he encouraged, “I won't be long.”

Nodding, Eren twisted to press a kiss to Levi’s forehead.

With one last nuzzle, the brunette scampered off to find the guest room. It wasn't a difficult task, not when Levi's scent guided him through the house. The smell was better than any map could ever be.

Eren paused in one particular doorway, breathing in a good lungful of air and letting his feet guide him into the gloom. This was the one, there was no mistaking it. It was just a simple room with a bed, a nightstand and a wardrobe by a chest of drawers, but the lack of size only made the place seem homey. There was a god awful rug on the floor in front of a doorway that the boy assumed led to an adjoining bathroom, as well as a single interpretive painting hung on the wall above the bed.

But none of that mattered…not when Eren could smell Levi all through this small, enclosed space, especially as he drew nearer to the bed against the far wall. It was only a small bed, not like the one back at the now empty apartment, but Eren didn't let that deter him from letting himself fall onto the waiting mattress.

He rolled about, rubbing his limbs against the sheets, burying his face in the pillow and inhaling with relish until his scent was mingled with the smell of Levi. Good...but not enough, not yet. With a soft sound of annoyance, Eren wrestled his clothes off, flailing and kicking them every which way until he lay in naught but his skin. Better. Rolling about further, the brunette was pleased to find some of the raven's scent on his flesh. A sigh escaped the boy's lips, relief, satisfaction, and from the doorway a chuckle sounded.

“You look like a cat in a pile of catnip.”

Teal eyes lost in their hazy satisfaction roved to find the owner of the voice, focusing at last on the man leaning against the door frame. Levi’s eyes held fondness, his lips quirked up in a small, crooked smile as he observed the boy stretched out on the bed.

“Levi...” the brunette said the word as if it meant so much more to him than a name, like it was a part of his soul.

It took no more than that to bring the raven to him, pushing the door shut as he came. Eren all but lunged for the smaller male, long arms yanking Levi against him with a soft, desperate sound. The pair fell back against the mattress, Levi's hands catching his weight so that he didn't land on the boy beneath him, but Eren wasn't having any such resistance. The brunette surged up to claim the raven's mouth in a heated kiss, flipping their positions so that it was Levi on his back.

It was awkward on the smaller bed and Eren had to steady himself to avoid falling right onto the floor as his eagerness almost got the better of him. Arranging himself and the raven diagonally on the mattress helped a little, but the brunette was too frustrated to pause for very long.

Ducking to kiss the human once again, Eren crooned soft sounds as he latched his mouth onto the raven's skin at last, relishing the taste of the man’s flesh under his tongue. Warm and smooth, Eren sucked harshly with every intention of leaving a vicious mark behind. Mark, brand, _mine_. Clutching at Levi to press himself closer, the boy sucked in a gasp of a breath.

“T-Too many layers.” Eren whimpered, pawing at the raven’s clothes in frustration.

“Hn?” Levi arched a thin brow at the boy. “I thought you were tired?”

“I am.” Eren breathed, still nuzzling his face against the raven's throat. “Humour me?”

Pleading teal eyes looked up into cool grey pools and Levi couldn’t believe that he was letting the brat’s puppy dog eyes sway his judgement. Damned adorable demon.

With a roll of his eyes, the raven complied with Eren's request and tugged his shirt up and over his head, letting the boy rid him of his pants. That seemed to appease the brunette somewhat, as the boy stopped clawing at Levi and settled for nuzzling; rubbing his face against the raven's chest and pressing his body flush against the smaller male's.

Pausing occasionally to place a lazy kiss here and there, a rosary of soft sighs escaped the boy’s lips.

This was so much better; Eren could feel the raven's scent all about him now, in his lungs, on his skin. Perfect. Teal eyes slipped shut as the brunette stretched, whimpering in delight when Levi let their legs tangle together. At last, lying skin to skin, Eren felt at peace.

Later he would realise, with a start, that he felt the same sense of home lying here with Levi that Rivaille's closeness had stirred within him back in Hell. But, for the moment, all that the boy could think of was how wonderful it would be to wake up wrapped in his human's arms come morning.

He allowed Levi to cover them with blankets, coaxing the sheets around the both of them. Soon a little, pleasant patch of warmth began to build between the two males and Eren was content to settle to sleep. He curled against Levi’s chest, inhaling slowly and curling his toes as Levi’s heady scent filled his nose.

“Eren?” Levi murmured the boy's name, soft and lulling.

Drawn from his haze of bliss at the sound of his name, the brunette gave a soft hum in response. “Mm?”

“I'm glad you're home.”

It was a simple confession, a string of words that meant well, but oddly enough there was a stirring sadness in the boy’s chest.

Teal eyes blinked open to stare at the far wall as he considered those words.

“I have no home, Levi.” Eren murmured after a quiet moment, his eyes kept low as well as his tone. “Not here, not in Hell.”

To Eren…home was not a single place or a significant location. It wasn’t a country or an area where he had grown up. Home wasn’t even a parent or sibling.

To Eren…home consisted of two very different men with the same face. Two men who caused him pain and joy in their own separate ways. But they could never exist together.

And so Eren had no home. Not really.

“Tch.” Levi muttered suddenly, drawing the brunette from his sulking thoughts with a flick to the back of his head. “Well then I'm glad you're here, brat.” The raven uttered instead.

There was something in the way Levi’s arms tightened around Eren as he said those words that made the boy wonder if this mortal had guessed what he had been thinking. Even such a simple comfort as an embrace could hold a world of meaning.

And soon after it was a smiling Eren that nestled against the drowsy human with a content sound, letting his eyes slip closed.

“Me too, Levi.” The boy uttered, his voice barely more than a whisper. “Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh. So hopefully I can get into the swing of things again here, I hope. Cats, man. You wouldn't believe how much time they take up. (there was a big dog harassing my kitties, okay? I did my owner-ly duties and chased its ugly ass away...and then naturally spent two hours comforting three very startled cats)  
> Next chapter will see Eren telling Levi all about his time in Hell. No doubt Levi won't be thrilled.  
> Once again, I am so damned sorry for taking such a long time to update DX Just holidays and freedom and cats, it all caught up with me and suddenly it's Thursday? When the frickety frack did that happen? O_O


	41. Reluctant Lullaby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That moment when you look at your own chapter title and realise that you probably had a very different idea for the content compared to what you end up posting.  
> It's 2:00AM. I'm out. But hey, here's a chapter that's been bugging me for a while.  
> Also 40+ chapters! *victory dance*  
> Sort of beta'd...by an equally sleep-deprived individual. Oops.  
> Enjoy!

“Baby, give me one more night.” - Maroon 5, One More Night.

***

 

_BANG!_

“Morning!”

It was a startled brunette that jerked awake at the first sign of light into the room, teal eyes wide in alarm and a snarl already building in his throat. Stiff-limbed, the boy's eyes struggled to focus after being woken so abruptly, growling low in warning.

The boy's eyes snapped towards the source of the noise which had woken him, bleary teal eyes making out the light coming in through a doorway. Shadows moved, the tell-tale figure of a person standing beneath the frame. Eren twisted, weight supported by his arms as the boy leaned forward, threatening, ready for whatever threat it might be, when a voice registered through the numbing roar of panic in his ears.

“Jesus Christ, Hanji, get the fuck out!”

The words were spoken through a mix of anger and panic, familiar, but the brunette was more focused on letting his instinct guide him to find the threat.

A dark sound filtered through the room and it took a moment for the boy to realise that it was his own warning growl. The noise seemed to almost affect the room around them; suddenly the space began to seem smaller, the walls groaning as if in protest.

“Shit, just go, Hanji.” The worried voice was back, somewhere close by.

“What do you-”

“Get out! He's been in Hell, for fuck's sake! You can't just barge in like that! Now get the fuck back before you lose a limb!”

Eren hadn't realised that he had been baring his teeth until he snapped them viciously when he felt a sudden pressure on his arm. Twisting rapidly, the boy froze.

“L-Levi...”

Levi...Hanji...that's right.

Shock held the brunette rigid where he sat, half straddling the smaller male, having pinned a startled Levi beneath him. Tan fingers were wrapped snugly about the column of Levi's throat, but the raven-haired man just looked back at him with such an understanding expression on his face that the brunette wrenched himself back and away.

He scrambled to the end of the mattress, gasping in quick breaths to calm himself and shaking his head. The boy brought up one hand, beating the heel of his palm against his forehead in self-reprimand.

“Levi, shit, I'm so sorry-”

“Don't worry about it.” The raven cut him off, his voice rasping a little, partly from sleep and partly from almost being choked a few moments prior.

“Don't worry?” Eren hissed back at him, eyes still trained on the mattress even as he made to glance over his shoulder at the man. “I could have fucking killed you!”

“You could have and you didn't.” Levi murmured, watching the boy pick at the covers anxiously. The raven let the brunette have his space. “It was Hanji's damned fault,” he condoled, “blame her.”

Eren made a scathing sound in response. “Is that what you're doing?”

“Duh.” Levi replied, rolling his eyes. “Who walks in on someone at eight in the morning?”

The raven could see the tiny smirk that curved the boy's lips, pleased that his dry comments could at least cheer the brat up a little.

“And she knew we'd probably be naked, but she still barrelled in anyway. That's some special kind of creepy.”

At last a quiet laugh left the boy and he turned around at last, looking over at Levi with a little smile gracing his lips. It didn't last long, not when Eren's eyes dropped to the red marks marring the raven's throat. Marks that would no doubt match the print of Eren's hand; the brunette hoped that Levi wouldn't bruise.

Swallowing, the boy's eyes flickered back up to meet calm, grey pools. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine.” Levi assured the brunette, his voice sounding closer to normal by now.

Eren managed a nod, at least accepting the raven's words without completely disregarding them. Even so, there was a little disbelief in the boy's teal orbs, but no one could fix that problem except Eren himself.

“Did I hurt you?” The brunette asked in a small voice.

“Not so much.” Levi gave a light shrug, managing a little, cheeky smile. “Although I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have a bit of a heart attack for a second there.”

It was meant as a joke, but the boy only swallowed thickly and hung his head.

“I'm sorry, it's just an instinct.” The brunette apologised again, throat closing as he shut his eyes tight for a moment. “I thought I was back in...” Eren trailed off hopelessly, pressing the heels of his palms against closed eyes.

It wasn't a hard leap; Eren had woken up believing that he had still been in Hell. Levi didn't blame him for reacting so harshly. God knows what horrors the poor kid had endured.

“It's okay.” Levi murmured gently, moving at last and crawling across the mattress to reach the boy. “No harm, no foul.”

Eren exhaled, the sound almost irritated, but he let the smaller male draw him back and into a warm embrace.

“No harm this time around.” The boy muttered, sullen. “If it happens again, I might not stop in time.”

“This won't be happening again.” Levi cut off the boy's moping speech before the kid could upset himself any further, the raven resting his head atop the brunette's mess of hair.

“How do you know that?” Eren's voice sounded, although from where he was Levi couldn't see the boy speak.

“Because Hanji is going to stay the fuck away from you until you're awake.” The raven answered Eren, nuzzling the boy's hair gently.

The boy was stubborn to admit it to himself, but the closeness was a welcome comfort. He wished that he had the strength to send Levi away from him, at least until he could be certain that he was properly in control of himself, but deep down Eren knew that he was a selfish creature.

“It shouldn't have to be that way, though.” The brunette muttered glumly. “I shouldn't be so savage that I try to strangle my own boyfriend first thing in the morning.” But he clutched the raven closer anyway, pressing his cheek against the smaller male's chest.

The boy felt Levi shrug more than he saw it, giving a soft purr of a sound when Levi's arms wound around his shoulders.

“You're a demon,” the raven-haired man murmured as an excuse for the brunette, “let's just pretend that it's normal.”

Teal eyes rolled, but the boy smirked anyway.

“Don't tell me you have a choking kink?” He teased, blinking up at the raven with an arched brow.

Levi scoffed out a laugh at that, prodding the boy between the eyes with a smirk. “Heh. Not really, no.” He said with a shake of his head. “But if Hanji asks, that's what I'm telling her.”

Eren scrunched up his nose at the thought.

“You're terrible.” The boy said, but he was laughing.

 

It took a while longer for Eren to breath out that he felt calm enough for them to go out and get food. Even with those words, Levi still made the brunette wait in bed while he fetched food for the both of them, tugging on a pair of briefs before strutting out of the room.

Breakfast in bed was something that Eren was not ready for, especially considering that it was Levi's idea, and his eyebrows shot up when the raven returned holding a tray. But the boy did not utter a single complaint as the smaller male set the tray down on the nightstand before taking a seat on the bed.

An eager Eren scooted closer, peering over the raven's shoulder at the food. Fucking waffles; Levi really was trying to spoil him rotten.

And if the brunette had thought that his day couldn't get any better, he was proven so very wrong when the raven-haired man started feeding him. Levi was damned well doting on the boy and Eren couldn't believe how nice the man was being to him. Eren couldn't help but feel guilty, being spoiled so thoroughly when he had just returned from the arms of another, but Levi wouldn't hear a word of his complaints. Each and every time that the boy tried to apologise, the raven simply shut him up with another piece of food and in the end Eren gave up with a petulant huff.

True to the raven's promise, Hanji did not attempt to burst through the door again. Eren had a sneaking suspicion that the brown-haired woman had been scolded by Levi when he had gone to get food.

The boy felt a little bad for Hanji, after all this was her home. She should be allowed to go wherever she pleased.

But he was also grateful that he had been given enough time to come to his senses. The last thing that the boy wanted was for him to snap, lose control and hurt somebody. Especially not Hanji or Levi.

The blissful morning stretched on, with Eren giving up his moping over the earlier mishap and settling his head in Levi's lap instead. The raven seemed content to keep feeding him until not a single morsel of their meal remained. Only then did the questions start, and it all began with a simple query.

“How did you get away?”

Levi had been busy clearing away the cutlery when the question had left his lips, one hand arranging items on the tray while his other hand was currently being licked clean of jam by the brunette. Eren finished sucking the sweet substance off of the raven's digits before he answered, letting loose a long sigh when the smaller man began to thread his fingers through the boy's hair.

“Honestly...” the brunette glanced off to one side.

Where to begin?

  


_It was closing on midday when Eren made his decision to head home. All that was left to do was to wait for Rivaille to rouse so that he could leave. Laying in his blanket nest, the brunette picked at the soft bedding, resting his chin atop a hand._

_He had been waiting there for some hours now, not wanting to take off without the raven's consent, but for fuck's sake his mate was taking his sweet ass time waking up._

_Laying stretched out amidst the blankets, the raven-haired demon's eyes remained closed. He was utterly still, not bothering with any illusion of breathing; Eren knew that he was a demon so there was no point trying to fool anyone. Rivaille's face was blank, his smoothed out features lending him a tranquil look._

_Eren wanted to wake him, wanted to reach out and shake the raven's shoulder until he stirred, but he also did not want to risk startling his mate. Rivaille could be easily put into a foul mood and the boy dearly hoped that they could part on relatively good terms for once. And so he waited, lying beside his sleeping mate for a long while until finally the smaller demon stirred with a stretch._

_Rivaille made a soft, strained sound as he stretched out and Eren watched the muscles of the raven's back shift, reaching out to run tan fingers from the smaller male's nape to his lower back. A quiet, content noise sounded in the raven's throat at the contact and the brunette couldn't help but smile a little when Rivaille leaned back and into his touch._

“ _Did you sleep well, little one?”_

_Eren couldn't help but roll his eyes a little at the pet name._

“ _Well enough.” The brunette answered, tracing a finger along one of Rivaille's shoulder blades. “You certainly seemed to get your fair share of rest.”_

_The dark-haired demon chuckled in his throat, not missing the boy's accusing tone._

“ _My castle, my rules.”_

_Eren clicked his tongue in response, but made no move to argue._

_Rolling onto his side, Rivaille faced the boy, silver eyes focusing on the windows behind the brunette's head. The raven started to grimace, hating the way the light offended his eyes, but paused with a shocked sound when Eren scooted closer. The brunette leaned on one elbow to support his weight, leaning so that his shoulder could shield the smaller demon from the majority of the light. Rivaille swallowed at the proximity, unable to stop himself from gazing at the boy's throat for a long moment._

_Desire pooled in his gut, the urges to mark and claim his young mate stirring within him, but Eren must have noticed the way Rivaille's pupils dilated because the boy looked wary._

_Teal eyes hardened a little at that._

“ _No.”_

_Rivaille only rolled his own eyes. “Spoilsport.” He accused, letting himself flop back down against the blankets beneath them._

_Silver eyes danced with barely concealed amusement as they took in the sight of the boy next to him. Eren was still delightfully naked, tawny skin on full display, and the dark-haired demon couldn't help but smile at the sight of it. Something in the way the brunette held himself, a little tense and on edge, told Rivaille that he would not appreciate being touched._

_But by the fires of Hell it was a challenge in itself just to hold himself back._

_Eren stood then and Rivaille comforted himself by relishing the way his scent was mingled so nicely with the boy's. Rich and sweet, it wasn't quite as potent as it would have been had they joined during the night, but for now this would have to do._

_Glancing up, silver eyes widened when they zeroed in on the brunette still walking away from him. Eren was headed towards the door._

“ _Where are you going?” Rivaille called to his mate, alarm colouring his tone as he scrambled to his feet and after the boy._

_The brunette's sigh could be heard even before the raven-haired demon reached him._

“ _Rivaille, I told you, I have to go back.” Eren murmured, reminding the smaller demon that today was the day that he would be returning to the living world._

_The dark-haired demon whined, throwing himself at the brunette as soon as he was within range._

“ _But Ereeeeeen!” The dark-haired demon cried in complaint, drawing out the boy's name as he clutched at the brunette._

_Teal eyes widened in surprise as he was met with a sudden armful of Rivaille. The taller male caught hold of the raven, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise at his mate's behaviour._

“ _Ack! Rivaille,” the boy stumbled a little as the smaller demon slumped against him, dropping to cling to Eren's leg, “...Rivaille...” the brunette heaved a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose, “we discussed this.”_

_They had discussed this and the raven knew that well and good. It didn't mean that he was going to be any less of a brat about Eren leaving._

_Rivaille moped, tossing his head petulantly. “I changed my mind.” He said in a whining tone. “You have to stay.”_

_The smaller demon pressed his face to Eren's leg, arms wrapping around the limb in a vice-like grip. The raven's tone was different, more akin to a stubborn child than a terrifying demon from Hell. Eren couldn't help but feel as though his mate was suddenly...insecure._

_And that was almost enough for the brunette to find Rivaille adorable. Almost._

_Crouching, it was a smiling Eren that cupped the raven's jaw, steering the smaller male's chin in his direction. Those sharp, silvery eyes were trained on the floor stubbornly. Rivaille never behaved like this, usually their roles were reversed and it would be Eren pouting and avoiding the raven's gaze._

_Oh how the tables had turned._

“ _If I have to stay...then why aren't you chaining me to a wall?” The boy asked, tone gentle despite the challenge the words might have otherwise suggested. “You're usually more committed to your threats than this.”_

_A low growl sounded from the raven at that, soft and surprisingly non-threatening. It was more of a tantrum than anything else, but the raven tossed his head, jerking free of Eren's hold and pushing up off the floor._

“ _Go, if you're so intent on leaving me.” The smaller male snapped, sullen as he stalked a few steps away._

_Taken aback, the brunette stared at his mate with sadness in his eyes. For all their discussion and every reassurance that Rivaille was okay with this...Eren should have known that the raven had been lying to him. Well...lying for him, for Eren's good and not Rivaille's own for once. Just the fact that the raven had been dishonest at all...seemed strange. He was a treacherous fiend, but always spoke the truth to his mate._

_The boy never expected this news to hit the raven so hard._

“ _Rivaille...” Eren began, tentatively reaching out for the other male, “you know it's not like that-”_

“ _I've seen how you think of me, boy,” the raven sneered, cutting him off, “I understand entirely.”_

_Quiet descended and, after a moment, the brunette gave a soft sigh. “Not entirely...” he murmured, “not if this is how you feel.”_

“ _How else should I be feeling right now?” Rivaille snapped, rounding on the brunette with his teeth bared. “Outcast among my own kind, rejected, nay, abandoned by my own mate...excuse me if I don't get up and do a happy dance, brat.”_

“ _Rivaille...” Eren tried, pacing closer and leaning in to nuzzle the raven, but the smaller demon moved back, looking away. Swallowing, the boy tried again, butting his head against Rivaille's shoulder, moving up to press his lips against pale skin and trailing closed lips from shoulder to just beneath the raven's ear, “...I'm not abandoning you. I swear it.” He pressed a kiss just below Rivaille's ear, an arm resting either side of the smaller demon's legs where they were folded underneath him. “Things are just complicated...so very complicated. Just...wait for me. I'll come back, I promise...I might even call you darling.”_

_The raven-haired demon shivered at Eren's words, leaning into the boy reluctantly._

“ _I'll hold you to that.” Rivaille muttered, keeping his eyes locked on the ground._

_So stubborn, even when the raven so clearly wanted nothing more than to push the brat down and have him right then and there if only it would make the boy stay._

_Eren managed a chuckle at that. “Of course you will.”_

_Rivaille rolled his eyes, letting them slip shut when his young mate leaned in to nip at his skin._

“ _Go on, get out of here.” He had muttered, eyes still closed, lips parted and his words escaping on a shaky breath. “But for fuck's sake, find some clothes first!”_

  


Eren sighed, recalling how very simple it had been to leave Rivaille's castle.

“It was surprisingly easy, actually.” The boy answered at last, blue-green eyes shifting to gaze up at Levi from where he was still lying in the man's lap.

The raven-haired man gave a soft hum of contemplation, still stroking Eren's hair soothingly. It wasn't fair that he could be so calm, even when the brunette was going to have to tell him awful things soon.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” Levi asked, his voice low, intimate.

Of course Eren had no desire at all to make his human listen to the horrid things that had happened to him at the hands of his mate. But the fact remained that they had promised each other no more secrets. Secrets were awful, destructive things and the brunette wanted to stay as far away from them as he could.

“...I know that I need to.” The boy answered at last, dropping his gaze off to one side.

Levi could tell from the weary expression on the brunette's face that whatever Eren had to say wouldn't be easy. Then again, it had never been easy. Right from the beginning, Levi had known that this boy was trouble, and yet here they were wrapped up together.

“You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, kid.” Levi assured the brunette, bringing his free hand up to brush along the boy's collar bone gently.

The brunette's brows furrowed a little then, as if in thought, and suddenly Eren looked up at the raven again.

“Can I show you instead?” The brunette asked, no, implored.

Bright, teal eyes gazed imploringly up into grey pools, begging silently to have this escape. The story that Eren had to tell was by no means a short one, not if he wanted to communicate all the detail that there was for Levi to know, but if he could show the raven his time in Hell instead...things could be over and done with much faster.

Unfortunately, Levi remembered the first and last time that he and the boy had tried the memory exchange. The raven also recalled the God awful throbbing in his skull that had resulted from the act.

“Not this again?” Levi wrinkled his nose in distaste, complaining, but he wasn't saying no. “I'm still recovering from that first damned headache. Only a little discomfort my ass.”

Eren winced a little at that, wanting to smile and laugh it all off but he couldn't.

“I know, I apologise.” He murmured instead, still gazing up at his human and hoping.

It took a moment, but finally grey eyes closed and Levi relented. “Ugh, fine.”

A tiny smile did grace the brunette's lips at that, but of relief only, and he sat up. Adjusting himself across from the raven, the boy tucked his knees beneath himself and leaned in until his forehead touched Levi's. The man's grey eyes were set and determined, prepared for the onslaught of images, sights and sounds to come.

Eren swallowed, pausing for a moment; this would be tricky. The boy wanted to be able to show Levi what had happened during his time in Hell, but that was all that he wanted to show the man. If he wasn't careful, then the raven might accidentally witness other incidents of the boy's past. And that was something that neither Levi or Eren needed to see right then and there. It would be troublesome, but the brunette would need to keep close focus so that only the correct memories were brought forth for the human to see.

Being so close, it was easy for the raven-haired man to pick up on the hesitation in teal eyes.

“What's the matter, kid?”

Eren sighed gently before taking in a deep breath, letting the action sooth him a little.

“There's just a whole lot of not so nice stuff that I don't want you to see.” The brunette explained, cringing a little as some unsavoury images passed through his mind.

He certainly didn't need Levi to see the raw monster that he was capable of being.

The raven arched a thin brow. “From the trip?” He questioned.

“No,” Eren shook his head, never once breaking eye contact with the man before him, “from...everything.”

A look of understanding passed through Levi's eyes. “Ah...yeah, maybe don't try to fry my brain with all your memories.”

A soft huff of laughter escaped the boy's lips at the raven's words and he couldn't help but feel relieved that his human didn't even want to see some of the more frightening elements of his existence.

Smirking, the brunette leaned up to press his lips to Levi's forehead, murmuring against the man's skin.

“I'll try my best.”

Eren paused here, holding Levi close to him but not pulling back to meet the smaller male's eyes again.

“Well?” Levi's voice sounded in his ears after a moment. “What are you waiting for?”

The boy swallowed a little thickly, resting his chin atop the raven's head for a moment.

“Just...promise that you'll still love me after this?” He murmured in a small voice. “No matter what you see?”

There was a pause before Levi gave a single, humourless chuckle.

“Sounds like this is going to be one hell of a ride.” The raven muttered. “I promise, Eren.”

Eren's eyes slipped closed at the promise and he managed a smile.

“Thank you.”

Leaning back at last, the brunette rested his forehead against the raven's once more and brought up his hands to rest two fingers over each of the human's temples. Gently, with hardly any pressure at all, Eren stroked his thumbs over the raven's skin before the boy's eyes grew bright, wide and yet holding no emotion.

Levi flinched with a start as the first image reached his mind's eye, shocking a breath out of him.

Barren wastelands, charred earth, and an awful chill to the air. Smoke, or that's what it looked like, surrounding come kind of castle.

“Nice place.”

“Don't be cheeky.” Eren murmured in reply.

He heard the boy before him smirk more than he saw it.

The images swept him up again.

Oh, it was a _person_ in the smoke, of course. Levi spied a dark tail, scaled and thicker than Eren's furry one, sweeping out of the dark shroud every once in a while.

The pictures shifted, colours blurring and forming new shapes, and suddenly there was a new castle, this one far larger and settled in the midst of fiery mountains. Black stone rose up into an impressive structure, the building seeming to almost shine in the afternoon light. The castle was surrounded by a bubbling moat of what looked like oozing molten stone, stone which darkened and froze over as the smoke-shrouded being passed over it.

Creepy. Not just anyone could freeze frigging lava.

Another shift in location, only this time all that changed was that the pictures were clearly inside the castle that had previously filled the raven's mind. The dark stone looked just as cold as it felt and the smaller male was shocked to find that he could indeed feel the deathly chill coming from the memory Eren shared with him. Levi saw castle walls and dark hallways, torches hanging from stone and doing their best to illuminate the gloomy corridors. Hallways led to staircases which in turn ended in a room full of cages and cells. The raven didn't have to wonder very much what this place was for, suppressing a shudder at the sight of the cold, dank space.

It was so strange to be able to feel the boy's fear as if it were his own, but he could. The raven's skin tingled, as if affected by the cold that he could sense in the memory, and he inhaled sharply when the shadows were suddenly before his eyes again.

Claws and feral teeth hid behind that smoke. Levi took in the lean-fingered hand outstretched towards the boy, noted the pale digits that slowly transitioned to black, scale-covered skin at the knuckles. Elegant, that was the word for it, even if the wicked talons somewhat broke the graceful image. Levi could see every tiny detail of the demon's pale skin, milky white and starkly contrasted by the gleaming black of his scales.

Cold; the demon's skin was icy. Levi could almost feel the fiend's hand about his own throat.

The next few scenes seemed to rush by in the raven's head, as if Eren weren't eager to have Levi see them, but each of the images seemed to stain themselves into his mind anyway. The speed in which they came seemed to have no effect on Levi's ability to see and feel and know what had happened.

That in itself was disorienting.

A game.

A chase.

Feet flying against cold stone, silent where they should have been echoing. Torches dying out, one by one the lights began to dwindle.

Caught, trapped, giving up.

Choking, can't breath, brittle...a heat like fire building in his bones.

Mercy, darkness receding, lungs free of suffocating smog. The heavy smoke retreating at last, even folding away from the figure that had been shrouded from sight this whole time.

And then...

“Jesus Christ...” Levi breathed out, eyes wide as he recognised his own face suddenly.

Features the same but different, silver eyes burning in their intensity, a cruel smirk twisting thin lips and dark scales shining in the light from the hearth. Levi had never been so shocked to see his own face, twisted in a cruel smirk.

Monster, Levi recognised. And suddenly a whole lot of things made a whole lot of sense. Eren's concern about mirrors, his few comments about Levi's 'reflection'...this was what the kid had been worried about. This fiendish nightmare before Levi's very eyes was the reason that the boy had been so reluctant to tell the human that he was engaged in the first place.

Eren's mate was Levi's demonic fucking look-alike.

"Eren..." the raven couldn't find any words to follow the boy's name with, but his tone was full of broken understanding.

Pain flashed through the teal eyes across from him, and Eren let out a shaky breath.

Levi finally knew the whole damned story, well enough at least, and not a single word of hate or disgust had left his lips. Grey eyes were filled with understanding, so much so that it was almost too much to bear and Eren struggled not to break their eye contact. The raven wasn't pulling away, wasn't cursing or shouting. He wasn't saying anything really.

"I'm sorry."

"You should have told me, kid."

"I-I know and I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry-"

"It's alright."

"It's not." Eren whispered, his eyes threatening to close right then and there, but he managed to keep them open.

So many secrets, Levi and Eren both knew how much this could potentially effect them if they let it. But, despite the lingering doubt that flickered through the raven's mind even as he watched his own face, a darker version of himself, strutting about in the boy's memories, he fought off any insecurities that threatened to cling in his mind. Something like that would only cripple them, and Levi had had enough of being apart from Eren. Sure, the raven could go ahead and allow himself to wallow in his jealousy, could demand that the boy stop visiting this Rivaille. But in the end, was that any different than Rivaille demanding that Eren not see Levi anymore? Could he really be so selfish as to deny the brunette his own mate? Even if it killed him a little bit inside? No, such a thing was unacceptable and selfish. Levi wasn't a selfish person, not really, unless of course it came to the teal-eyed boy. The fucking universe itself had seen fit to give Eren over to the dark-haired nightmare that was Rivaille, surely that was not to simply be cruel? So, like it or not, Levi would just have to deal with the hand that he had been dealt. He wouldn't let this be the thing that drove another wedge between them.

“I'm sorry.” The words were but a low murmur on Eren's tongue, soft and sad and just a little bit hopeless. “It only gets worse from here.”

Cold, dark, alone; the walls and bars of a dungeon cell closed in around the boy. Tired, tired all the way to his bones, and aching; the brunette had stared out into the yawning black void beyond his cell as sleep had evaded him. The bitter chill biting into soft skin.

Kindness, warmth, the surprise at finding the vicious demon caring for him suddenly. Blankets, care, warm fire. It didn't seem so terrible...not at first.

Sleep, the freedom of being aloud to rest outside of the cold and lonely prison cell, a fright upon waking under observation.

“ _Jesus fucking Christ, Rivaille!_ ”

“ _I didn't think I was that frightful to look at.”_

Banter, Levi's own voice falling from another's lips, familiar features twisting. For a moment it was almost as if the two demons before his eyes were getting along. The phrase 'old married couple' sprung to mind and Levi might have laughed if the thought didn't make his insides twist uncomfortably.

“ _Maybe next time you won't disobey me when I ask you to do something.”_

“ _Bite me.”_

Levi winced at the sound of bone snapping, inhaling sharply at the agonised howling that followed. Even Eren had to cringe a little at the memory; he could still feel the phantom pain haunt his bones, could still recall the slither of Rivaille's hands ghosting over his skin. The boy shivered.

Pain...mind numbing agony. Levi witnessed his poor demon boy being tortured, saw what Eren had meant about tails being vulnerable as he watched the brunette have his own tormented.

A plea, a beg of a whimper for the pain to stop.

The flashes came quicker.

The boy healing his wounds, left alone and sobbing silently, body aching and broken. The fiend returning, apparently repentant, only to curl up against the brunette and start to shower Eren with kisses. Mouthing, licking, nuzzling the boy's skin, this monster embraced the kid like all of the horrid treatment beforehand had been nothing more than play.

“ _Don't think about tomorrow.”_

The monster had whispered to Eren, the voice seeming to sound in Levi's own ear, making his shiver.

“ _Think about right now.”_

The raven could feel the uncertainty that had coursed through the boy, could feel the want rising, unbidden, to cloud his mind. But then and there, Levi could also detect how right the boy had felt, so close to his fated one, his blood calling out, overriding any other thought that threatened to have him pulling away from the raven-haired demon.

“I'm sorry,” Eren gasped again, his eyes glistening as they gazed imploringly at grey, “it's the b-bond, I c-can't help it-”

“Shh...” the raven hushed him, thumbs stroking the boy's cheeks, “it's okay.”

“It's not-”

“It's your nature,” Levi breathed, needing the boy to understand that he wasn't going to judge him for something that was practically in the kid's blood, “I can't be mad about something beyond your control.”

It was true, bitterly so, but no amount of jealousy would make Levi blame Eren for being swayed by a call that neither of them could do a damned thing about. Levi was just a human, he couldn't possibly relate to how Eren must feel whenever he got close to Rivaille. It was a bone deep call, something that a mortal would never feel. With the way the boy described it, Levi wasn't sure that he even wanted to know how it felt to be tied to someone like that. Especially someone that mostly caused you pain. Surely, Levi believed that if it had been him in Eren's shoes, then no doubt the universe would have stuck him with Erwin just to be a bitch.

"It's okay..." the raven found himself crooning again.

A sob sounded from the boy as the memory continued to play out.

Pressing closer, the dark-haired demon crooned in the boy's ear, dark tongue snaking out to lavish tan skin with attention. And Eren moaned under the raven-haired demon's attention, only just managing to gasp out a plea for them to stop. The sight caused a hot lick of jealousy to pool in Levi's gut.

So this was his rival? An other-worldly version of himself? Darker, far more deadly and very possibly insane. No wonder Eren was so skittish, so wary of revealing to Levi who his demon mate was. The raven supposed that it made sense for the brunette to be worried, Levi had every right to be jealous.

Even if he had no right to judge.

The raven-haired man wondered if this Rivaille had ever felt jealous of him..? Whether it had happened or not, the thought made Levi feel a little better.

When the brunette broke away from the raven, it was with a gasp after a nasty image of his mate putting forth a very real threat to rip off the boy's manhood.

Pain shot through Levi's head immediately afterwards, a dull, throbbing ache in his temples drawing a low groan from the smaller male. Rubbing his index and middle fingers against his offended temples, Levi blinked his eyes open.

“Well he seems like a regular ball of sunshine.” The smaller male groaned, pressing a hand to his eyes. “I'm not gonna lie, my mind feels violated as fuck right now.”

“I'm sorry.” Eren offered again, yet another apology.

Levi had lost count of how many times the poor boy had apologised to him over the course of the day.

“Stop saying sorry.” He managed a smirk, reaching over to push playfully at the brunette's arm.

Eren swallowed, letting himself fall back against Levi's chest, and for a few long moments the two males lay in silence. The boy couldn't help but feel as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulder with the knowledge that Levi now knew of what he had been doing in Hell. There was still so much to do, so many things that had yet to happen if Eren wanted any of his plans to work.

A long sigh rustled free of the brunette's lips, breaking through the quiet at last.

"I should have told you more about the demon world and your world sooner. If you had known that, out there somewhere, there was a demon counterpart of you...perhaps you would have guessed who dear Rivaille was even without my clues."

"Not likely. I'm not exactly a certified genius." The raven muttered, blowing a puff of air towards his eyes. "But seriously? Of all the demons out there, this guy has to be your mate? Can you spell ironic?"

"I-R-O-N-"

"It was rhetorical, brat."

"...I-C."

Levi huffed out a soft laugh, rolling his eyes at the boy before remembering how sore his head was. Grimacing a little, he paused when Eren shifted closer and reached out, pressing warm fingertips to the sides of his head. A soft light glowed out of the raven's line of sight, but he chose not to question it when the pain in his head began to subside. The raven appreciated the effort, letting his eyes slip closed as the boy took care of him. Something soft and fuzzy was stroking the smaller man's bare feet and it took a moment for Levi to realise that it was Eren's tail.

"I suppose it's a bit late to mention that most humans have a darker side waiting in Hell?"

The raven gave a snort at that. "Just a bit, yeah."

Headache set to ease, the brunette rolled over, adjusting himself and laying back against the raven's chest. Warm, solid, safe.

“I need him to trust me.” Eren murmured in a low tone.

Levi gave a hum of acknowledgement and the boy closed his eyes, feeling the vibrations from the raven's chest against his skin.

“He doesn't trust you?”

Eren gave a soft snort at that. “Of course he doesn't.” The brunette managed a small, sardonic smile. “He's a wraith, it's not in his nature to trust anyone. Not even his own mate.”

“But you want him to trust you?”

“I believe that it would be helpful to at least be in his good books.” The boy admitted reluctantly, heaving another weary sigh.

“Right.” Levi murmured and Eren could feel the man nodding behind him. “And you were planning to gain his trust by..?”

The brunette winced a little at the question, the answer instantly springing to mind. It had already been decided, but the boy hoped that Levi would judge him too harshly for his choice.

“I promised him that I would stop turning away his advances.” Eren replied, slumping against the raven.

Levi must surely despise him, at least a little, for all the bullshit that the boy dragged him through.

“I see.” Came the raven's response a moment later.

Eren winced again, but there was nothing within the smaller male's tone to suggest that Levi was particularly angry with him. At least that much was a good sign.

“I'm sorry.” Eren apologised for what was probably the millionth time. “But it's on a condition that we start off slowly and work our way up.”

It was a shitty excuse, but the brunette hoped that Levi would see that he had done this for him. At least this way the raven would know what Eren and his mate would be doing, rather than simply getting down to business behind his human's back.

The very thought of such a thing made Eren disgusted.

“Right.” Levi was nodding again and the boy might have smiled if he wasn't currently so anxious. “And you're telling me this because?”

Once again, there was no anger or reprimand in Levi's tone and Eren felt like crying because how could his human be so understanding? Truly, the brunette was certain that he didn't deserve this man.

“I want you to know that I'll tell you anything.” The boy answered honestly, turning his head a little and nuzzling his face against the raven's shoulder. “I won't keep my time with Rivaille a secret, you deserve to know.”

“Thanks, I guess.” The raven smirked a little, managing a soft chuckle that turned sad towards the end. “Just...do whatever you have to do to come back alive, okay?”

The words held no reluctance, only worry, and Eren turned in the smaller man's arms then to kiss him. Chaste at first, before the boy tilted his head to slot their mouths together and ran his tongue over Levi's bottom lip. It was a slow kiss, warm and languid and everything that Eren needed in that moment.

When the pair parted, it was with a quiet gasp from both as they drew air into their oxygen deprived lungs. Eren wished for the burn that Levi must surely be feeling in his lungs right now, the desperate need for air fighting against the desire to indulge in another kiss.

“Thank you.” The boy breathed, grateful for Levi's blessing.

The raven swallowed, but offered a half smile. “Don't mention it.”

The brunette exhaled through his nose, looking down at his human and wishing that he had more time here. Just one more day and he would be due back in Hell...back in Rivaille's arms. That was if the dark-haired demon hadn't decided that Eren was a piece of slime in the time between now and then.

The brunette piped up again suddenly. “Also...I was hoping that you could help me.”

The boy's tone was hesitant, but for once Eren seemed more embarrassed than fearful of whatever it was that he planned to say.

“Eh?” Levi raised both his eyebrows. “How can I help?”

The raven watched the tips of Eren's ears turn pink, also noticing a faint dusting of rosy colour on the brunette's cheeks, and suddenly he had somewhat of an idea as to where the kid was going.

“Well...” Eren paused for a long moment, making a face as he avoided Levi's gaze, “I'm not sure what to do when I go back. I mean...Rivaille is expecting...oh I don't know, but he's expecting something.” Teal eyes flickered coyly up, seeking out the raven's grey gaze imploringly. “How should I go about this?”

Levi dead-panned. “You're seriously asking me how you should go about courting a fucking demon?” The smaller male laughed a little, albeit incredulously. “I don't know the first thing about your demon rituals.”

“It isn't about rituals,” Eren rolled his eyes at the raven, “it's about intimacy. There's only so much that I know.”

“Well then use what you know.” Levi tried to reassure the kid, but it only seemed to frustrate the boy more.

“But Rivaille is a fucking expert. I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't like what I have to offer.”

The raven shot the brunette a blank look. “Eren. Shut up. You're the hottest piece of ass there is, demon or otherwise. I know it, Rivaille probably knows it too.”

The boy blushed even further at the comment, ducking his head shyly. Levi reached up to cup the brunette's jaw fondly, waiting for the kid to look at him before he uttered his next words.

“Just suck his dick.” He said, straight-faced. “He'll probably be a lot less angry then.”

Eren had to laugh at that, even if only a little, and Levi was just pleased to see the poor kid smiling again.

The brunette shook his head. “I shouldn't be surprised that you would say something like that.”

“What?” Levi asked, playing innocent. “You asked for advice, that's my advice.” He shrugged, frowning for a moment then. “He does have a dick, right?”

The boy gave a snort at that, chuckling. “Well I assume so.” Eren snickered. “Most of the demons with higher ranked power adopt a humanoid form. I have, clearly.” The boy gestured to himself, shameless as always rocking his birthday suit.

Levi smirked, running sly hands over the brunette's skin.

“Clearly.” He purred.

Eren grinned down at him. “I see no reason why Rivaille shouldn't be the same as well.”

Grey eyes rolled as the raven realised that, yes, he really was discussing with Eren how best to take care of his freaky mate in the bedroom. How in the world did it come to this?

“Thank God,” the raven-haired man feigned relief, “otherwise this whole plan would be fucked.”

“Heh.” Eren chuckled, rolling his eyes in return and shrugging. “It's already pretty fucked.”

“True.”

Smiling, the brunette's eyes swam with something else then.

“I have something else to tell you.” Eren murmured, apparently recalling yet another unfortunate event.

Levi braced himself, even though by now the worst of the news had surely passed. “Go ahead.”

Biting his lip, the brunette gave a sigh. “Rivaille knows about you.”

Well the raven certainly hadn't been expecting that.

“What?”

Eren made a face, rubbing Levi's shoulder by means of repenting.

“I accidentally mentioned your name before we were going to sleep.” The brunette had pulled them both out of the memory exchange before this had occurred, mostly because he wasn't yet ready to explain to Levi about the concept of venom bonds. “I didn't mean to, I swear, but he'd just been so lovely to me and I felt at home for a moment and I thought of you because that's how you make me feel, Levi.” The boy paused to meet the raven's eyes before a sheepish expression morphed his features. “And...I might have bid him goodnight but muttered your name by mistake...”

Oh wow...classy. Levi had to resist the urge to smack his palm against his forehead after hearing that Eren had made such a simple mistake.

“Smooth, brat.” The raven muttered instead, a dry chuckle leaving his throat. “Real smooth.”

“Yeah,” the brunette grimaced a little, “not one of my finer moments.”

“No indeed.” Levi huffed out a chuckle, shaking his head. “So he knows you're fucking someone else, huh?” The raven pulled the boy closer. “How the hell did you make it out of there alive?”

An anxious laugh bubbled out of the brunette's mouth.

“I nearly didn't.” Eren confessed, recalling how enraged Rivaille had been for a moment. “But I convinced him to let me explain and we talked. I honestly can't believe how well he took it.” The boy's features grew almost blank in their sarcasm. “Rivaille was actually pleased when he found out who you were. That bastard.”

Levi scoffed out a chuckle at that. “In love with himself a bit, is he?”

“Probably.” Eren muttered, smirking. “I mean, he is damned fine.”

Grey eyes closed. “Was that a Hell pun?”

“It was.”

“You moron.”

The two males just laughed at each other for a moment, basking in their warmth and the closeness of lying together.

“So...can I practice on you?” Eren asked after a moment, looking up at the raven with hopeful eyes.

“Practice? You mean for what you'll do to Rivaille?”

“Well, if you'd rather not have my mouth around your dick...”

Arching a brow, the raven leaned forward to murmur in the boy's ear. “You don't have to ask me twice.”

Eren couldn't have been happier to have Levi in nothing but his briefs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah...so next chapter will probably be ereri fluff, cos I really need to write some of that, okay? Too many sad feels, I need fluff now. Not sure if I'll write the implied smut there at the end...I might save that for when Eren gets back to Rivaille. Unless y'all want some Eren x Levi action. Let me know, it's up to you guys really. But yeah, some happy feels to come :)  
> Hope this wasn't too dull or anything, I can't really tell. I need sleep.


	42. Just What The Doctor Ordered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to follow up on the smut front anyway, because I need to brush up on that sort of writing for future chapters of this (also Overdose almost has a new chapter, but I figured I'd get a little practice in here first cos the smut's been giving me trouble lately)  
> Not a super long chapter this, but here you go anyway.  
> Enjoy!

“Personally, I don't feel like this chapter needs a quote.” - Sincerely, author-chan.

***

 

“Like that?”

“Christ yes, Eren, just like that, _fuck_...”

Rolling his tongue around the satiny skin of Levi's erection, Eren couldn't help but smirk to himself as he wondered what Hanji would think of the sounds that would be coming from their room shortly. Call him an exhibitionist, but the boy liked the thought of people knowing that Levi was his.

The raven's briefs had been discarded quicker than the smaller man could blink. He was being scooped up and deposited at the head of the bed in a moment and the rest was history.

Now the teal-eyed brunette lay comfortably between pale legs, tan fingers splayed under Levi's thighs and pushing them up slightly until the raven's legs were bent at the knee. The downy fuzz of Eren's tail tickled slightly as the appendage curled about the smaller man's right calf.

The idea had been for Levi to guide Eren through the process, to hand over tips and tricks, that sort of thing. In practice, the raven hardly spoke a few words before the boy's tongue had hit his skin, licking from Levi's v-line to his navel. Teasing for several long minutes, the brunette's mouth spoiled the pale skin, licking, kissing and sucking at all of the flesh he could find. Eren was mindful not to nip too hard, not wanting Levi to ban him from intimate contact when he was in demon form. Pointed teeth were kept well out of the way of the raven's soft flesh and honestly the brunette was surprised that the raven hadn't uttered a single complaint in concern of his canine-like teeth.

Never would Levi have imagined the boy could have so much control. But dammit this was not the time, not when the raven's cock was achingly hard for him and leaking, smearing precum over his own abdomen with every shift of the boy's body against his.

“You tease...” the smaller male muttered accusingly, very nearly pouting when Eren only smirked up at him.

The boy darted up for a kiss, grinding his hips down against Levi's in the same instant so that the raven's lips parted around a moan. Hot tongue licking inside the cavern of the smaller male's mouth, Eren's teal orbs took in the man's flushed cheeks and heavy-lidded eyes.

“Mm...if this is what your mate is into...” Levi's breath hitched as he exhaled at another rather delicious roll of the brunette's hips against his, “then you'll have him wrapped around your little finger in no time.”

Eren was a damned fast learner, not that Levi was complaining about that. The second that the brunette had flicked his tongue against the raven's frenum, Levi had known that he was screwed. A breathless moan had been the only signal that the boy had needed to know that this little patch of skin beneath the raven's cockhead was something to pay attention to.

And boy did he pay it attention. The brunette kept alternating between bobbing his head slowly, teasingly sliding his lips up and down the raven's shaft with his eyes locked on Levi's own lust-heavy orbs, and then slipping the length out of his mouth to flick his soft tongue against that nerve-packed little patch of skin on the underside of the raven's cockhead.

“A-Ah, right fucking there, sweet Jesus..!” The raven babbled a little incoherently, grey eyes dropping and meeting mesmerising teal.

Eren's own orbs, filled with lazy want, gazed up the smaller male's body in a languid stare. There was something unmistakably prideful in that stare, not that Levi minded in the slightest. No one would have known that this cheeky little brat was new to this sort of thing, not with the way the kid was arching his back and holding the raven's gaze so determinedly.

“Fuck...don't look at me like that.” Levi rasped, but he reached down to run fluttering fingers through the boy's hair anyway.

And the damned brat basked in the attention.

“Why not?” Eren asked between lapping and licking at the tip of Levi's dick, pressing his tongue against the slit to catch the precum building there.

The raven did not fail to notice the cheeky glimmer in the boy's teal eyes; the brat knew that Levi was already getting close by the hand in his hair, already tugging gently with each sensation. But the brunette was waiting for Levi to answer him, even pausing in his actions to nuzzle the raven's aching cock as he waited.

That fucking tease.

“Because, you little shit, I'm going to fucking cum too soon if you keep staring at me with those doe eyes of yours.”

A quiet chuckle sounded from the boy and he grinned up at Levi, his eyes big and bright and full of mischief.

Levi should have expected this brat to not play fair, but he still jumped when the brunette surged forward to press an open-mouthed kiss to the underside of the raven's weeping dick, trailing his moist lips up and then back down. Eren's eyes were wide and all too innocent as the boy mouthed lower still, bringing up one hand to rub at the raven's perineum and the other wrapping about the shaft of his cock to stroke. Levi was suddenly very lost in the middle of two wonderful sensations, and then to top it all off Eren started to lick at his balls, taking one into his mouth carefully to suck, and Levi's eyes rolled back in his head as his hips jerked.

The brunette was smiling, Levi's moans almost surprised in tone as the smaller male writhed. God, he could hardly focus on anything with what Eren was doing to him, the best Levi could manage was to fist his free hand in the sheets and try not to buck his hips too sharply. His other hand was locked in soft, brown locks, gripping tightly and tugging more often than not. His cock was throbbing in the boy's hand and the raven was groaning, trying to form words when he tensed suddenly.

Eren darted up to press his tongue against the raven's frenum, a mischievous light in his eyes when Levi looked down at him desperately. The boy let his tongue lay flat against the raven's sweet spot, moving the wet muscle from side to side and watching in silent glee as the raven's eyes blew wide. Levi threw his head back, moaning low in his throat and far louder than he probably intended, and Eren felt the raven's cock pulse under his tongue seconds before hot cum shot out in thick jets, splattering across Levi's stomach.

Tongue switching to soft licks, lapping at the underside of Levi's cockhead as it throbbed, Eren watched the pearly ropes of cum accumulating on the raven's skin. There was so much of it that the boy suspected that Levi hadn't blown a load since Eren had left for Hell.

The thought alone made the boy's neglected cock twitch with need beneath him.

Pink lips curved into a victorious smile and the brunette gave one last lick to the smaller man's twitching cock before settling with his arms folded across the raven's abdomen. Teal eyes gazed up at Levi, pleased with the debauched sight the man made, breathless, head tipped back and eyes closed.

For a few pleasant moments the only sound in the room was the raven's breathing as he came down from the high of orgasm. Eren waited ever so patiently for the smaller man to come back to himself, trailing a long finger through the mess of cum on the dark-haired man's upper abdomen and bringing the digit to his lips to taste.

“Fucking...miracle...that mouth of yours...” Levi managed to get out between panting breaths.

Eren only smiled up at him, pushing up and onto his hands and knees to crawl upwards. Slowly, he let his head loll between his shoulders to mouth at the raven's skin wherever the splattered remains of his release lay glistening on milky skin. Levi groaned at the sight, reaching down with a hand to card his fingers through the boy's soft hair as Eren worked his way up the smaller male's body. Eren's hips settled over Levi's, his own erection hanging hot and heavy between his legs, brushing against the raven's softening cock as he moved.

There was something distinctly possessive in the way the boy's arms caged the smaller male beneath him, gazing down at Levi like he was some great prize. The affection in that teal gaze was so strong that the raven was struggling not to look away, so Eren turned fondness into heat, lowering his lids a little as he ducked to kiss his human.

Their lips met, parting in the same moment, and Eren kissed Levi slowly, deeply, tilting his head for a better angle and humming when the raven's tongue stroked his own. Eren smiled into the kiss when Levi's tongue curiously traced over several of the boy's pointed teeth, the wet muscle probing over the sharpened enamel. The tip of each tooth was more or less blunt, dulled slightly to avoid unnecessary cuts in the boy's own mouth, but it wouldn't take much for those teeth to pierce flesh and draw blood. The hot, wet dance of tongues lasted for so long, and yet not long enough. But Levi needed to breathe, and so the kiss was broken.

Eren preoccupied himself with stroking the raven's hair while Levi caught his breath; the brunette relishing each place where his skin touched the smaller male's. Levi's flesh was so much warmer than usual, probably because he had cum not so long ago, and Eren welcomed the change.

Levi exhaled a rasping breath when the brunette began to rut his hips against the raven's, gently, not even insistently. It was just there, a distracting pressure, and the boy bent to mouth lazily at the smaller male's neck tenderly. Just a nip here and there, and the occasional wet heat of the boy's tongue dragging against the raven's throat.

When it became apparent that Eren had no current plans to do anything with the pulsing erection between his legs, Levi cleared his throat thickly.

“Are you going to take care of that?” The raven rasped, hating how wrecked he sounded from just being sucked off.

Damn Eren and his better-than-should-have-been-legal blow job skills. And to think that the brat had been worried about performing? Ha.

Said brat was smirking against the raven's shoulder, his lips still resting against warm skin as he spoke.

“Only if you want to help me with it?”

The raven's eyes slid to the side to observe the boy when he leaned back enough to look down at Levi, pink lips curved into a crooked smile.

“Hoh?” The raven managed to breath out, more than a little distracted by just how dark Eren's eyes were becoming the longer he looked into them. Wetting his lips, the smaller male swallowed. “What did you have in mind?”

The boy didn't reply right away, instead he let his actions speak for him.

Smirking, Eren shifted his hips back so that his engorged cock dragged against the raven's heated skin, slipping down between Levi's ass cheeks. The brunette relished the shaky breath that Levi drew in when Eren nudged the tip of his dick against the smaller man's entrance, rubbing to smear his own precum over the twitching hole.

Grey eyes darkened, the raven's pupils dilating at the less than subtle suggestion, but the petite man couldn't help but think about just how loud he'd managed to be from just having Eren's lips stretched around his cock. Being pounded into the mattress could prove even worse. _Would_ prove even worse.

“As appealing as the idea is,” Levi began somewhat dryly, propping himself up on his elbows, “I think we've made enough embarrassing noises for one day.”

Rather than arguing, Eren's bottom lip pushed out into a pout that somehow only made Levi more eager to press against the throbbing cock sliding temptingly between his cheeks.

“Aw...” the boy mumbled, going so far as to bring out some of the best damned puppy eyes that Levi had ever seen.

The raven grimaced, hating to have to say no to that face, but he combated this by reaching out to cover the boy's eyes with his hand. Eren's lips quirked up into a smirk at the action.

“Is it just the noise that's bothering you?” The brunette teased. “Cos I'm sure I could find something to gag you with-”

“Stop right there, you little shit.” Levi muttered, uncovering the boy's eyes in favour of tweaking his ear in reprimand. “It's not just that, we have no lube here-”

Levi paused when the door creaked a little, his grey gaze and Eren's fiery teal eyes snapping over as the wood was eased open just enough for a hand to slip through. The raven-haired man didn't know whether to groan or laugh when Hanji's hand appeared for a split second to toss a suspicious tube into the room before disappearing once again with a shout of 'you're welcome' as the door was shut once more.

Eren did laugh, scooping up the offering of lube that Hanji had tossed at them and dangling it in front of the raven with a triumphant smirk. Levi only stared at the tube with incredulous eyes.

“I don't fucking believe it.”

The boy's grin only grew, teal eyes filled with amusement.

“Thanks, Hanji!” The brunette called back through the door.

“You're welcome, honey!” The woman called back moments later.

Laughter escaped the boy's lips at that and he shook his head at the situation.

Levi only rolled his eyes, although he wasn't particularly upset with anything. “I guess I don't get to have a say whether I get my ass ploughed?”

Eren smirked at the man fondly, reaching down between them and plucking at the man's flaccid cock with tender fingers. The brunette arched a brow, smiling a little when Levi squirmed in his hold.

“Judging by preparedness,” Eren paused to look between them again, rocking his hips forward again before looking back to the raven, “...I think I win.”

Levi ignored the boy's victorious grin, mostly because he was distracted by the way the boy's cockhead kept brushing against his entrance but never with enough pressure to breach him, and huffed out a petulant breath.

“Well that's not fair,” the raven griped half-heartedly, “I only came just now.”

Teal eyes sparkled with mirth, suddenly a whole lot closer as Eren leaned in to pause millimetres from the raven's face, the angle leaving the tip of his dick pressing right up against Levi's twitching hole.

“Exactly, pet.” The brunette cooed, his lips curving into a tender smile when Levi's eyes closed and the raven tried to push his hips back against the boy's length. “Let me have my fun?”

“Tch.” Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Just fuck me already.”

“Yes, Sir.”

The raven squirmed impatiently as he lay back, listening to the cap of the lube snapping open and the soft squelch of the gel being squeezed onto the boy's fingers. Eren took his time, apparently loving how fucking needy Levi was getting having to wait. The smaller male glowered off to one side, pointedly ignoring the brat's grinning face.

He wasn't some cock-hungry slut, Levi was rarely ever like this. It was literally only Eren that got him this way and the raven both loved and hated it, how greedy his own body was for the demon boy sitting between his legs. The man's thighs spread almost against the raven's will when he felt the brunette's fingers finally begin to rub around his entrance. The lube was warm at least, and Levi appreciated that, but apparently Eren didn't seem to read that the asshole twitching against his fingers was in a bit more of a hurry than he was. Those long fingers circled the raven's entrance almost teasingly and it seemed like a lifetime before the first digit began to press its way in past the tight ring of clenching muscle.

Ever so slowly, the first finger was worked inside of him, and Levi was honestly considering twiddling his thumbs or getting up and getting a fucking book to read just to show Eren how fucking slowly he was moving. It had been too long already since they had last been intimate and time was disappearing far too quickly. But no matter how much the raven sighed or shifted his hips or even whimpered, the brat didn't quicken his pace.

“Brat...I might actually die of old age before you're ready.”

The moment the words were out of the raven's mouth, Eren gave a soft chuckle and surged up Levi's body to press their mouths together in a hungry kiss. In the same movement, the boy pushed two fingers in to the hilt and a groan caught in Levi's throat at the intrusion.

Fucking finally.

“Thank you, God.” Levi all but whimpered into the kiss, his hips bucking up of their own volition.

Eren smirked against the smaller man's mouth as he worked his two digits at a steady pace, pushing them into the tight heat of Levi's ass and withdrawing with a steady curl of his fingers to catch the man's prostate on the way out.

And suddenly every single minute of the waiting beforehand had been worth it.

The brunette began to scissor his fingers, twisting to brush the little bundle of nerves hidden within the raven to ease any and all discomfort as he gently stretched the puckered ring of muscle for the intrusion to come. Levi's brows were drawn together, as if in concentration, and his lust-clouded gunmetal eyes were closed as the man's head tipped back. Teal eyes tracked the bob of Levi's Adams apple as he swallowed, a groan catching in his throat. The raven-haired man was being rather quiet actually, panting and sighing more than moaning, and for some reason Eren was extremely turned on by each breathy sound that left the man's parted lips.

“How does it feel?”

The raven scrunched up his nose, making a moody sound in his throat. Grey eyes blinked open to look down at the boy who grinned at him, moving up Levi's body until his face hovered close. Eren leaned in to press his lips against the smaller man's as he swallowed, the raven making a soft sound into the kiss.

“It feels like you're taking your sweet-ass time, you shit.”

But for all the irritation that the raven's words could have held, Levi sounded remarkably okay with his treatment.

Eren scoffed his amusement, nipping at the raven's lips carefully, ever mindful of his teeth.

“If I'm going to be subjected to being ravaged by a demon who may or may not be planning to reciprocate...then I'm going to spend my few days with you pounding that sweet ass of yours...and I'm going to take. My. Time.” Eren purred, punctuating those last three words with purposeful thrusts of his fingers.

The boy's digits curled against the man's prostate teasingly, holding then to rub at the sensitive bundle of nerves, and Levi's hips jerked, his back arching up as Levi chased after the shocking jolt of pleasure. The raven's cock twitched to life, stiffening slowly as blood returned to the organ.

Eren chuckled and the raven grimaced at him.

“Not a fucking word, Eren, I swear-”

“Not such an old man after all, hmm?” The brunette cut him off with a grin, long fingers slipping down the man's pale skin to fondle his hardening erection.

“Fuck you, I'm only twenty six.” Levi griped up at him, glowering weakly when the boy started to laugh. “You're the one who should have the nickname, 'old man'.”

Another chuckle escaped the brunette's lips, only this time the sound was sly as Eren pressed himself closer.

“You're really going to bring age into this now?” The boy huffed out a laugh, teasing. “Going to lecture me about cradle-snatching, hmm?”

It was becoming increasingly difficult for Levi to keep up any conversation at all with the way Eren kept moving his fingers about inside of him, but the raven was pretty certain that it was an intentional distraction. Well fuck Eren, the raven could damned well multi-task.

“I don't think you'd even-ah-hah...pay attention.”

Even if he was a little bit of a moaning wreck while he did it.

“Maybe not to the actual words that came out of your mouth,” the brunette agreed with a smirk, “but I'd definitely listen to the way your voice sounded.”

Levi rolled his gunmetal eyes, reaching up to take Eren's face in his hands and yank the kid's head down until their foreheads were all but touching. Teal eyes were a little wide in their surprise, but the brunette waited for Levi to speak instead of questioning his actions for once.

“Shut up and fuck me before I fucking shove you on your ass and mount you myself.”

By this point the raven-haired man didn't give two shits about whether or not his words seemed out of character, Eren had been a little shit teasing him and it had gone on for far too long now.

But of course the brat didn't even seem vaguely daunted by the suggestion. Instead, the boy's eyes grew a little wider, lighting up in excitement.

“Oh?” Eren's eyes brightened at the thought. “You'd actually ride me, then?”

Levi was more than considering it, anything at this point to have the boy's cock in him to the hilt.

“If you don't hurry your shit up, I might.” The raven muttered, one hand falling from the boy's face to flop against the bed while the other threaded up through the kid's hair.

“I might like that.” Eren murmured cheekily, leaning into the smaller man's touch. “It'll probably be easier on your ass, too.”

Finally Levi groaned, letting his head drop back against the pillows behind him. “Look, Eren, please, I don't care if I can't walk tomorrow, just get a move on.”

“Only because you asked so nicely.” The boy smirked.

Levi could have cried when he felt the tip of Eren's length nudging his entrance at last, pressing forth with purpose this time until the swollen head breached the raven's ass. The brunette pushed in slowly, carefully, until he was in to the hilt and a low growl stirred in the boy's throat.

 _Mine_ , that sound said, soft yet deeply possessive as the boy ducked his head so that the deep purr of a noise was right by Levi's ear. The raven gave a start when he felt a tweak of pain and he realised that Eren was biting at his neck. The boy's shaggy hair fell over his eyes, hiding the shining orbs from view, but Levi could imagine how they would look; dark from lust and wanting hunger, but bright too.

Levi wished he could see those magnificent orbs, but he allowed himself to be distracted by the teeth that grazed his skin, not hard enough to break through or draw blood, but enough to make the raven inhale a little gasp with each nick to his throat.

The smaller man realised that the boy was waiting for Levi to adjust, granting him that courtesy instead of setting a harsh pace from the get go. And so the raven-haired man wrapped an arm around the brunette's shoulders, stretching up to nibble at Eren's ear as he shifted his hips in a silent invitation for the boy to move.

And move he did.

Eren set a pace that was damned near heavenly, and something that the raven-haired man hadn't realised that he wanted until he got it.

The boy would pull out to the very tip with every thrust before pushing right back into the raven, and he did this over and over and over again until Levi was breathless. It wasn't exactly a hurried pace, but it was an urgent one, like the brunette wanted, nay _needed_ , to have the smaller male feel all of him. Eren wanted the raven to feel every last inch of him as he reclaimed the man. While the brunette was being gentle enough, each thrust of his hips held enough force to have Levi exhaling a little every time that the boy's length was driven into him.

Eren's lips and teeth were set against the raven's skin, nipping and pressing kisses from Levi's shoulder to his chest and back again. The smaller man bit his lip harshly as the boy's thrusts picked up a little, coming quicker now and with a little more force, but still the same as Eren's cock slid almost all the way out of the tight heat between the raven's legs and then back in. It was deliriously good, but Levi still tried his best to keep his moans locked in his throat, the sounds escaping instead as strained groans or hums. When Eren started to kiss the raven's neck, Levi let his head fall back against the pillows, allowing himself a few quick, heavy lungfuls of air.

And then the brunette was hovering over him, curiosity in his lust-filled eyes. But those orbs soon filled with a mixture of understanding and fondness when Eren realised that Levi was only trying to keep quiet for Hanji's sake after their earlier escapade. The man was trying so hard, his teeth worrying the skin of his bottom lip as he struggled not to make a sound.

It was almost too endearing to bear.

“Let me.” The brunette murmured, hovering lower and letting his tongue snake out to trace over the raven's lip until Levi released the taught flesh from between his teeth.

Drawing in one last panting breath through his mouth, the smaller male made to breath through his nose instead. Eren pressed his lips to Levi's, sealing their mouths together to muffle any sound the raven might make, and gave another solid thrust.

The boy swallowed all the noises that Levi managed to make and the raven let his eyes roll back a little as Eren's cock stroked his insides whenever he pushed in or pulled out. The little shit snagged a hold of one of Levi's legs then and hiked it up over one of his tanned shoulders and _fuck_ it felt good whenever the kid's bulbous cockhead rubbed at his prostate. Levi's own cock was twitching helplessly, aching and neglected other than when Eren's abdomen rubbed against it. Oh God, the raven was going to cum even without his cock under attention, and fuck, too soon again.

But then Levi registered the shaky breathing in his ears and suddenly he wondered if Eren wasn't getting close as well. The kid was still kissing him and the smaller male was both impressed and surprised that the kid didn't break once for air, before he remembered that Eren didn't need to breath. Levi's own breathing was coming out rushed and hurried through his nose and it had to be just about the least sexy display possible but Eren didn't seem to mind or even care really. The boy just kissed him harder, letting slip little moans here or there that vibrated gently against the raven's lips.

When Eren's hand trailed down the raven's chest, tickling against his stomach before wrapping about the man's cock, Levi suspected that the boy hadn't been as oblivious as he had previously thought. And when the kid stroked up once and rolled the raven's cockhead around in his palm, Levi let out a stuttering moan and the brat smirked against his mouth and Levi _knew_ that the little fucker had known that he was close.

“Gonna cum, Levi?” Eren rasped throatily by the raven's ear and god damn, when had the brat ever learned how to sound so hot?

“Christ you sounded sexy just now.” Levi panted, turning his head to the side to press a lazy kiss to the boy's cheek. “Keep talking to me, Eren.”

Teal eyes flashed with mischief and amusement, sliding over to meet the raven's low-lidded gaze.

“Oh? Someone has a thing for talking dirty, does he?” The boy teased, proud of himself for being the one somewhat in control this time around.

Grey eyes narrowed, but the look in those pools was playful. “You know I do, brat.” Levi snarked anyway.

“Tut, tut, young man.” Eren chided with a grin, nipping at the shell of Levi's ear. “Tell me, are you going to cum?”

“Yes, God yes.”

“Then kiss me.” The boy uttered, moving to wrap the raven's leg around his waist as his pace grew erratic.

Fucking finally.

Levi's shaky moan was cut off by the insistent press of Eren's lips as the boy dove to kiss him, suddenly desperate as his thrusts grew shallower, more frantic. The smaller male hooked his other leg up and around Eren's back and let his back arch up off the mattress to meet the brunette's thrusts.

The boy's hand tugged at Levi's cock, stroking him in time with his thrusting, and Levi's body tensed suddenly as the heat in his gut suddenly boiled over and he muffled a hard moan against the brunette's lips.

Levi's back arched and he writhed through the delicious throes of release, his legs shaking as his hips jerked. Hot white spilled onto his stomach and for a moment the raven felt like he was floating.

Eren let out a whimpering breath when the smaller male's walls clenched, tightening about his cock, and he pushed into that wet heat desperately. The boy released the raven's cock as it throbbed sluggishly, spent from release, and the brunette's hand slipped down to curve around the small of Levi's back to hold him in place as he thrust once, twice more, and suddenly he was cumming.

A shaky groan escaped the boy's throat as he tensed, curving in on himself a little. Eren's head ducked down to Levi's chest, his face buried against the pale skin there as his hips pushed into the raven and he began to grind, riding out his orgasm with a few breathy moans against the smaller man's heated skin.

Levi's hand came down to rest in the boy's hair, threading soothingly through the sweat-dampened locks as the brunette pulsed and throbbed inside him.

For a moment the pair didn't move and the only sounds in the room were that of Eren's high-pitched panting as he came down from the high of orgasm and the raven's own calmer breathing.

Eren's limbs felt heavy as he laid Levi carefully back against the mattress after coaxing the man's legs to let go of their death-grip around his waist. The boy's softening cock slipped from the raven's ass with a wet sound and the boy raised his eyebrows at the protesting whimper that Levi gave at the loss.

“Not a word.” The raven muttered, but he already knew it was too late.

“That was adorable.”

“Ugh.” Grey eyes rolled briefly. “Just shut up, come here and kiss me.” Levi griped, reaching for the boy.

Such a romantic, Eren thought with a fond little smile as he lowered himself to kiss the smaller male, his tongue swiping lazily across the other male's lips while he tangled his legs together with the raven's. He could feel the slippery remnants of Levi's cum on his stomach as he lay against the smaller man, but their scents were thick in the air, near dizzying as they calmed his senses.

This was what the boy had wanted. This was bliss.

And, hopefully, this was what he could try and share with his mate upon his return to Hell. The brunette pouted at the thought, hating the way his body responded to the idea of Rivaille touching him, of him touching Rivaille, and the boy grimaced as he felt his spent cock twitch slightly.

Now was not the time for such thoughts, not when he still had an entire day left to spend with Levi after this day passed. And the boy planned to spend every last second of his time in the living world curled up and basking in Levi's scent.

Nuzzling closer, the brunette murmured sweet nothings into the quiet air surrounding him and his human, smiling softly when the raven's arms curled about him.

Just when Eren thought he may drift off to sleep, there came a loud knocking at the door.

Levi groaned. “Oh fuck _off_ , Hanji! You're _not_ coming in here!”

“I just wanted to know if you two would be done in time for dinner?” The woman called back through the door, and even without seeing her face Eren could tell that she was grinning.

“It's only eleven thirty, you shit!”

A pause.

“So you're still going then?”

“No-fuck, why would you even want to know that?” Levi hissed incredulously, ignoring the snickering brat in his arms. “Listen, just fuck off for half an hour, alright? I'm tired and naked as a fucking newborn. A little peace and quiet would be appreciated!”

“Oh, sure, you want quiet after you've made your noise-”

“I said fuck off, you witch, we're never discussing this! Ever!”

Eren started to giggle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raise your hand if you were expecting Hanji's cameo in this chapter XD  
> Sometimes I remember that people actually read this. I regret nothing. (Except my awful sleep schedule. That's definitely regrettable.)  
> I might chase my other two fics for a few days after this chapter, but I'll still be working on chapters for UTB :)  
> Thanks as always to everyone who has stopped by to read this, and especially to everyone who was considerate enough to leave kudos and comments. Much love to you all!


	43. Show Me A Sunny Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This should have been updated WAY SOONER. I am trash. Please forgive me.  
> But here you go!  
> Enjoy!

“I believe in memories, they look so...so pretty when I sleep. And when I wake up you look so pretty sleeping next to me. But there is not enough time...” – Jack Johnson, Better Together.

***

 

Warmth and the sweet scent of _them_ greeted the brunette come morning; the entangled smell of demon and human hung heavily in the air, invading the teal-eyed boy's nose, his lungs, with every breath he took. It was the same feeling of home that he had recognised with...with Rivaille. As much as the boy hated to admit that to himself, his instincts didn't lie. Rivaille pulled a stronger reaction from the brunette, being a demon as well as his mate, but there was no denying the pull that Levi drew from him as well. Not quite as strong, not quite as urgent, but there all the same. And there was no fear with this mortal, no lingering concern of being used as a freaking chew toy. Levi's scent spoke of safety and home and almost... _almost_ mate.

Eren laid awake, bright eyes watching the steadily rising beam of light that peeked in through the curtains, painting the wall a dappled golden-brown. Dawn had come and gone some hours ago and it had been pleasantly quiet and dark enough that Levi had not yet stirred beside the brunette.

But the demon could not sleep. His head was a mess of thoughts and plans; there was too much to get done, too much to set in motion, and Eren hardly felt any safer leaving his human behind again this time around than he had the last time. Every trip back and forth, every time that he got the dark-haired human in his arms the feelings of _Levi_ and _mine_ only grew stronger. Eren knew that if it had been Levi abandoning him for undetermined periods of time, he would probably be pissed. But what else could he do? Abandon Rivaille completely? Risk his wrath? Abandon Levi completely? Give up on the both of them and try to find something new to occupy his time with?

No. There was nothing else but this, nothing but his plans to take charge of Hell, to set things right and take care of his mortal. And who knew what to do about Rivaille, that bastard who Eren could feel in his bones. _Deeper_ than that.

Holy damn, he was so fucked.

At least the brunette could rely on the knowledge that Hanji would be there for Levi, would be understanding towards their situation. Or at least she would until the raven started explaining exactly what kind of situation that they were in. Not exactly the most normal of circumstances, but Eren had never claimed to be normal. Maybe he didn't even want to be.

Hell, Levi had taken the brunette into his home even knowing that the boy had already killed a person. And then the raven had let him remain there after learning that Eren was so very far from human. This? Having a half-crazed, demonic fiend for a mate? That shit shouldn’t have come as a surprise at all.

Newsflash: demons lie.

They lie; they have secrets and are unreliable nine times out of ten. Just because Eren is a rare exception to at least the latter in no way meant that he didn’t have his fair share of nasty secrets or plans.

Another thing that the brunette had been considering in his time here, more or less safe, in the living world was the fact that he still had yet to initiate his scheme to buy into Rivaille’s trust. Such a thing would be crucial if Eren ever hoped for his end game plan to overthrow the current top dog of Hell.

But those thoughts would have to wait at least a bit longer, the brunette’s attention stolen by the shift of warmth beside him. Teal eyes softened when the raven-haired man at his side stretched, flexing out his muscles with a little stunted whine before relaxing against the mattress again. Eren exhaled a fond sound when Levi instantly grimaced at the chilly morning air and scooted closer, burying his sleepy frown against the brunette’s shoulder.

Eren smiled into the man’s hair, inhaling softly and sighing. Sweet and spice and something light like rainfall fogged through the brunette’s head, clouding his senses pleasantly. It was different from the woodsy smell that Levi usually had, like pine needles and crisp mountain air and the threat of snow on the breeze. This was relaxed, something that Eren only got when he was this close.

“Levi?”

The boy risked a murmur of his human's name, voice lulled and soft just in case the man was still asleep.

Curled against him, the raven shifted a little and tilted his head up, cracking open one eye.

“Mrph?” Was the only response that Levi seemed to be giving.

Eren was being a cheeky shit and he knew it, but that didn't stop his next words.

“You awake?”

That one grey orb rolled dramatically before slipping shut again.

“Har har.” Came the dry croak of a reply.

Hooking a leg between the demon’s, Levi pressed himself close and exhaled. Eren might have been a twerp, but he was so warm; the kid was the perfect solution to a cold morning. Besides, this was the last morning in fuck knows how long that the raven would be able to enjoy waking up next to the brat. Levi planned to make the most of it.

Thankfully the brunette seemed to sense that the raven was not yet ready to wake up completely, letting the smaller male curve himself up tight and warm. Tan arms slipped around the man's pale skin and Eren tucked Levi's head under his chin, nuzzling the soft raven locks that tickled his throat and jaw.

Teal eyes slipped closed, but the boy didn't sleep even when he could feel Levi's breathing even out once more. There was just too much to think about and Eren couldn't relax enough to leave consciousness behind. So he thought to himself, considered what he would do when he saw Rivaille again. The boy had learned plenty of tricks from Levi, had spent hours worshipping milky skin and working for each and every last sound that he could pull from the smaller man's thin lips. And it had been worth every second. Eren could only hope that Rivaille was receptive to what he had to offer. In any of their encounters, it was more than clear that his mate held the dominant role. The brunette had always taken the submissive role for self-preservation. He prayed that taking the lead wouldn't freak the night wraith out too much. Or worse, make him suspicious.

Thoughts like that weren't really helping his confidence and Eren knew that, so the brunette was more than happy to find Levi waking up.

It was the soft little groan that tipped Eren off to the raven's consciousness. That and the way his previously even breathing pattern stuttered for a moment before a long inhale was drawn in past Levi's lips.

“Is it still morning?” The smaller man rasped, stretching mightily in the boy's arms.

Eren exhaled in amusement, loosening his hold to allow the raven more movement.

“It is.” The brunette replied, watching with a little smile on his face as the raven twisted to stretch out his limbs.

“Time?” Levi asked a moment later, voice relaxing along with his muscles.

“Eleven thirty-seven.”

Levi gave a brief hum to acknowledge that he had heard the brat, before rolling into another stretch and flexing his arms out above his head. The brunette’s eyes traced over pale skin and muscle as they stretched taut and the boy had to suppress an urge to lick the man beside him. Somehow he knew that Levi wouldn’t appreciate something like that right then.

Eren could feel the man's toes curling against his calf and he wasn't sure why that seemed so endearing in his mind.

Propping his head up on an elbow, the brunette made himself comfortable.

“Hanji’s going to want some sort of explanation about all of this at some point.” Eren pointed out once Levi had collapsed against the mattress again.

“Ugh.” The raven groaned, throwing an arm over his face. “Don’t remind me.”

The brunette only huffed out a quiet laugh, nuzzling the smaller male fondly and wondering what Levi planned to even tell Hanji. Clearly the task of explaining anything at all would fall to the raven; they both knew that Eren would have to leave after today. Just one last day to spend preparing, planning, considering, before everything became real. It struck the brunette as funny how his time there with Levi was more like a dream to him than reality. For anyone else, the hellish realm that he belonged to would be considered the dream.

Or the nightmare.

But Eren had no problem with nightmares. He’d had his fair share of nightmarish experiences, even caused a few nightmares himself. Hell, he was fucking betrothed to the greatest horror of the night that there was out there.

Well…except for maybe one…but it was too early in the boy’s plan to bother wasting too much thought on that.

“Do you actually plan on getting up today?” Eren enquired after a decent length of time had passed.

Instead of bothering with a verbal reply, the raven-haired man rocked up into a sitting position. Levi ran a hand over his face and then up through his hair before the smaller man turned his head to look at Eren, hand still embedded in raven locks. One thin brow was slightly raised, not quite enough for Levi to hold his classic sarcastic look, but enough for Eren to know that the raven-haired man was thinking. Thoughts rushed behind those clear, grey eyes. The brunette had never seen those warm pools so busy, clear and yet filled with a considering gaze…

And so intense that the look in those eyes scared Eren halfway to Hell already. Only Rivaille had ever regarded the boy in such a calculating way and for a moment the brunette could almost see the man connecting dots in his head.

Licking his lips to wet them, the boy sucked in an anxious breath.

“Please don’t look at me like that.”

Waiting, Eren glanced up at the raven. The boy expected to hear a sarcastic ‘like what?’ only the words never came. Levi blinked. He took a breath, chest expanding steadily as air filtered in, and paused for a moment. One incredibly tense moment.

And then the raven exhaled, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed to stand.

Eren knew he was frowning, could feel his brows pulling together, but it was mostly confusion tugging at his features.

“What’s up with you?” The words escaped his lips before the brunette could really think to stop them.

But it didn’t seem to make the raven-haired man angry, nor upset, to be called out on his odd mood. Instead, Levi shifted to look at the boy and gave a tired sigh.

“I’m just trying.” The raven murmured, scratching absently at the shorter fuzz of his undercut, grey eyes dropping to the floor for a moment.

Frown growing, Eren found himself even more confused than before. Those words could mean anything.

“Kay…” the brunette responded, sitting up properly, “care to maybe elaborate on that?”

Levi just let out another odd sigh, his gaze almost probing in its intensity as those gunmetal orbs roved over what skin he could see. The smaller man’s hand fell to his side at last and Levi gave a shrug, folding his arms across his chest.

“I’m trying to look at you and see this ferocious little monster you’re supposed to be.”

Oh. Well that explained the staring…sort of.

“Heh.” The boy gave a tired chuckle, shaking his head with a tiny, humourless smile. “Trust me when I say that you don’t want to know that side of me.”

“So, what, your mate doesn’t get to see this side of you then?” Levi said and the words reeked of challenge and that made the brunette bristle indignantly despite himself.

Teal eyes snapped over to the raven, taking in his stance and how Levi almost looked confrontational. His eyes were hard and almost accusing in their gaze, as if daring Eren to take the bait and snap something back.

“Is that how it is, Eren?” The raven went on, pupils narrowing. “You’re the monster for him and the boyish little brat for me? Is that how this works?”

Insecure…the word might as well have been branded to the raven’s forehead for how obvious it suddenly was. The brunette’s lips parted in surprise and Eren felt the irritation that had been building within him evaporate. This was bound to happen sooner or later, the boy just hadn’t expected it to happen…now.

“I…” the brunette swallowed, gathering his words, “…I don’t know why you would even want to know.” Eren answered, but the words were guilty.

And Levi didn’t miss it, either.

Grey eyes shone, all too knowing, as they observed the brunette sitting in the muddled sheets and blankets, head ducked just slightly and eyes glued to the mattress.

“I see.” Levi nodded to himself, clicking his tongue. “That’s interesting.”

Teal eyes closed, slow and solemn, as the brunette recognised the signs. Levi was ready for a fight, an argument, heck maybe even a damned brawl for all his stance was communicating.

“Don’t do this.” Eren murmured, his voice quiet, pleading, and teal orbs blinked open again to focus on the sheets beneath his hands. “Please don’t.”

“It’s not easy,” Levi bites out the words, eyes fierce and boring into the boy’s head but Eren wouldn’t look at him, “waiting here. Waiting on you, _for_ you. I’m not perfect; I’m no saint, and I fucking worry about your sorry ass whenever you’re cruising in the friggin’ pit of fire, dammit!”

Eren’s doleful eyes rested on the end of the bed, unable to completely settle on the raven’s form when he was so mad. The brunette listened to the angry words that were hissed out at him, listened to the lack of venom in Levi’s tone. Levi was angry, of course he was, and scared for the brunette…but his rant was nothing more than that: a rant. Venting to feel better, to haul the words and weight off of his chest.

There was no easy way around something like this, and the longer Eren tried to put it off…he knew that something like this was bound to happen. Levi was a mortal, after all, and Eren had caved to his anger under far lesser circumstances. The fact that the raven-haired man had made it so long without snapping was impressive to say the least.

And Eren owed it to him to let the man get his words out.

So the brunette let him hiss and snap and pace, throwing his hands in the air in gestures every so often or pinching at the bridge of his nose or even tugging at his hair. The distress the raven displayed was clear and Eren wished that any words he could say in that moment could soothe the resentment in his human. But he knew better than that. Just like the relief of crying to let harsh feelings escape, the boy let Levi vent. He would let him cry, too, if that’s what it took to relieve a little stress in his human. But the raven wasn’t one for tears, so this would have to do.

“How do I know that you won't choose him over me?”

“I'm not some miracle; I'm just your regular, boring, insecure human being.”

“Is this the way things are going to be from now on? Just a few days together before you go off disappearing?”

“Am I the other man? Is he? Where exactly do we stand here?”

“I'm sorry to be bringing all of this up, especially now, but if we don't have everything out in the open then this isn't going to work.”

There was more, a whole lot more, and it was clear that Levi had plenty of doubts. Eren didn't blame him, couldn't really. This whole situation was one big mess and a mess that wouldn't clean itself up. So when Levi finally stopped talking and quiet hung in the air between them...the brunette had nothing to say. Nothing that would help.

Tapping his foot a little, the raven drummed his fingers against his crossed arms, waiting.

“Well?” Levi asked at last, exhausted and incredulous. “Say something, damn it!”

“I don’t want to fight.” Eren mumbled, boyish and soft spoken as he clasped his hands together. “And I understand why you’re upset, but there’s nothing I can do about any of that.”

A nice little slice of the truth seemed to be just what the raven needed to cool down; the brunette could almost feel the angsty energy pull right out of him, but a tiny flickering of anger resided. No lies, just like they had promised. Even if it hurt.

With a one-shouldered shrug, the boy exhaled slowly. “All I can do is promise that I’ll take care of you.”

Another moment of quiet descended, broken only by the soft huffs of Levi breathing.

“And your mate?” The raven spoke again, more melancholy than angry. “Rivaille? You’ll take care of him too, I suppose?”

“You misunderstand.” The brunette spoke up quickly, but his voice was calm. “He’s the one who’s supposed to take care of me.” Eren sighed out a tired chuckle. “And I’m going to let him. I’m tired of fighting on both fronts; it doesn’t do me any good anyway. So, next time you see me…I hope you’ll still look at me.” Teal orbs lifted up, glowing with a tiny flicker of hope lighting the boy’s pupils. “I hope you’ll still cherish me.”

Levi made to sneer at Eren, but there was no bitterness in his eyes. The grey pools were remarkably void of anger despite the scowl that the raven seemed to want to display.

“You fucker.” Levi muttered after a moment, but Eren had a feeling that the words weren't meant for him. Not really. Grey eyes stared at him, all harsh emotions, and a rushed breath huffed out of the raven's lungs. “Of course I will, damn you.”

There were more words, words like 'I might be pissed, but' and 'this is just one clusterfuck that I don't think I'll ever be ready for' but the brunette got the gist of it. All that mattered was the message beneath all the talk; no matter what fucked up nonsense pushed and shoved at them, Levi would still feel for him. Would still want him, even if that made him angry.

“That’s all I need to know.” Eren murmured at last, once all of the hissed words were said and done, and there was a smile in his voice even if it didn’t quite make in onto his face. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

 

The day was not a particularly warm one, but Eren insisted that they eat outside anyway. The sun was shining and that was all the reason that the brunette had needed to bound out the door and explore the little space that was Hanji’s backyard. It was just a small area, a rectangle of grass only as wide as the house before it was cut off by a wooden fence, but there was a big shady tree and a hammock. Eren managed to tangle himself in the hanging cloth before the raven could even make it a foot outside, but it was worth it to see the smirk on Levi’s face. The boy had no idea how he managed to entice the surly raven out of the house, but somehow Eren spent the better part of the afternoon lying on a big brown blanket in Hanji’s backyard with his head on Levi’s chest.

It was wonderful. Hanji was oddly nowhere to be found and Eren suspected that she was letting them have some time alone. Whatever she was doing and wherever she was doing it, the brunette was grateful to have the raven all to himself.

They brought food with them, sandwiches that sat on ugly paper plates with pink flower patterns. There was a mix of salad and some kind of salty meat that Eren quickly decided was his favourite thing about the meal. Levi informed the boy that the meat was called ham and promptly pulled all of it from his own sandwich to give to the brunette instead.

Levi could have sworn that there had been stars in the brat’s eyes at that. The reaction was well worth downgrading his lunch to leafy greens, tomato that was still vaguely green and beginning-to-go-mushy bread.

Eren didn’t care about any of that, not the below-par food, nor the girly plates or the scratchy blanket, not even the cool air or the one ant that decided to bite him. All he cared about was how blue the sky was, rich and vast and stretching on forever above them. That and the ever-present warmth of Levi against his side, but the sky was truly impressive and something that the boy would miss once he was back in Hell.

The dying world only beheld red and orange skies, or the pitch black of night, illuminated by volcanoes and hellfire here and there.

Here, though, in Levi’s world, they had beauty. Not a single cloud marred the dome of the sky and the sun was bright above their heads, even if it offered little in the way of warmth. The breeze brought out goose bumps on their skin but that just gave Eren the excuse to snuggle closer, fitting himself against the raven’s side.

Levi pulled half of the blanket over them and the brunette hadn’t realised that he had been asleep until the sound of Hanji’s loud voice stirred him to wake again. The woman’s attempt at cooing sounded more like a screech, but the boy couldn’t find himself to be angry at her for disturbing their little bubble of calm. Levi complained about how shitty their blanket was and Eren was glad to bitch about that with him while Hanji cackled over by the back door.

 

Silver stars had already begun to light the dimming sky by the time Eren bid Levi and Hanji farewell. The brunette estimated that it would be night by the time he reached Hell, but there would be no stars there.

Hanji insisted on watching the boy make his exit and even Levi’s best glare couldn’t deter her. Eren didn’t really want to have to show the woman his best glare, the thought of looks that could kill or curdle milk crossing the boy’s mind briefly, so he made his way to Hanji’s bathroom with both humans in tow.

The brunette took a few steadying breaths as he observed his own reflection in the mirror, an illusion of course, and then glanced back at the mortals who had followed him in.

Levi frowned when tan hands began to guide him back out of the tiled room again, but the raven listened to Eren’s explanation anyway.

“Just stay out in the hall,” the boy pleaded, glancing around warily, his eyes focusing on the lights, “I’m not sure what will happen exactly.”

Levi’s eyebrows shot up at that and he cleared his throat while Hanji was shoved back out into the hall for the second time.

“What does that mean?” The smaller man questioned, grey eyes narrowing slightly. “You’ve done this before.”

Eren shrugged. “Not inside a house.”

“And the difference is?” Levi muttered in query.

Meanwhile Hanji, while managing to remain silent, looked just about ready to burst. Her head must have been so full of questions; Eren felt a little bit proud of her for not barraging him with every little query that she had.

Turning back to glance at the mirror in front of him, Eren let out a breath.

Truth be told, the demon had no idea how his travelling back and forth affected the living world. All he knew was that using a mirror in an abandoned alleyway seemed so much safer than using a mirror in an inhabited house.

“I’m sure we’ll find out.” The brunette murmured, mostly to himself.

“That’s not very comforting, brat.”

Regardless, the two humans stood perched in the doorway to the bathroom while Eren made to leave.

Stretching out an arm, the brunette placed his left hand on the cool surface of the silver glass before him and his eyes lit up like fire. A barely perceptible tremor rumbled low beneath their feet and a loud zap sounded. Above the boy’s head, a flickering of some kind of orange and blue glow, like lightning, erupted from the lightbulb overhead. White hot as it snaked down from the ceiling to connect with the mirror, similar to the way metal attracts lightning in a storm, the two humans shielded their eyes against the glare.

When the light faded, Eren was gone.

The light fizzled out with another zap and a pop, followed by a tinkling of broken glass that rained down onto the tiles.

Standing in the now-darkened doorway, Levi ran a hand up through his hair with a sigh while Hanji stood gawking.

“That. Was. AWESOME!”

“Shut up, four eyes. Go get a broom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is why you should not decide to start watching Supernatural and marathon through to season four in a week and a half. And then get yourself addicted. Dammit.  
> Castiel, though o_o someone give that man a hug.  
> Misha Collins is my ideal husband.  
> And with that in mind, here comes update number two! See you there for some more in depth talk and what not.


	44. Pushing Boundaries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, so sorry for taking so damned long to update. But the moment has arrived! Eren returns to Hell at last to begin his plans to gain Rivaille's trust.  
> Also, another character has a brief mention in this chapter because I felt like they deserved a little more attention.  
> Will Eren's plans...go according to plan?  
> Enjoy!

“Your kiss is like a chemical, the only antidote to feed my animal.” – The Relay Company, Animals.

***

 

Dark, just as the young demon had suspected. Rising from his crouch after leaving the scrambled light tunnel of the Way Through, the young demon ran a hand up through his hair when he felt the beginnings of his transformation tugging at his body. His head spun only for a moment before the bleak landscape of Hell settled before the boy's eyes, the fiery orbs scanning the empty surrounds warily. Crossings weren't always the safest of affairs and the last thing that the brunette wanted was to be jumped by a pack of his own kind. The white and charred soil was devoid of any and all life, it seemed, and Eren breathed a sigh of relief.

Another starless night met Eren’s burning demon eyes as his body was swallowed up for a moment in blue-green flames. His hair darkened a fraction in shade, the soft locks growing a little in length. The rest of his change followed, scales merging with tan skin, claws protruding from his fingertips, toes and the heels of his feet. Full scale demonic form taking over, the brunette allowed a little calm to ease over him at the knowledge that if any threats should present themselves, he would be prepared. That and the illusion of clothes and the boy was set to go.

Taking a step forward and then another, the teal-eyed demon listened to the crunch of ashen soil beneath his feet and…and nothing.

That seemed…wrong. Something was missing here…it was never this quiet after a crossing, but what was missing then?

He didn’t have to wonder long.

“ _Eren._ ” A voice like an earthquake greeted the brunette.

The boy gave a mighty start and spun on his heel, an icy glare already building on his face before flaring teal eyes even landed on the red-skinned owner of the voice.

Lucifer, guardian of the Way Through. That was what was missing: the great, booming footsteps of the gate guardian making his rounds. Because he wasn’t making his rounds…the fucker was just standing there and staring right at the rattled brunette.

“Fucking hell, man!” Eren snapped up at the great, scarlet giant of a demon standing by the gates of Hell. “You scared the shit out of me, you great blistering fuck!”

Amber eyes watched, unamused, as the smaller demon glowered up at him. The great red giant had paused in his usual routine of pacing upon feeling the familiar essence of Eren surging through the gateway between worlds, leaning against one of the jagged mountain peaks as if it weren’t taller than a fucking skyscraper. The people you knew, huh.

“ _Were you expecting someone else?_ ” The thunderous voice questioned, somehow managing to sound dry and almost sardonic even through the almost wordless quality of the tone.

Demon talk, man. Eren wondered what Lucifer would have sounded like before he had acquired his true voice. His soul voice. And then the boy decided that it didn’t matter, cos every demon sounded a bit like a wanker without their true voice. Except for maybe Rivaille, but Eren was his mate so he was probably biased.

“Fuck, I don’t know.” The brunette replied to the larger demon’s question, teal eyes rolling.

Eren realised full well that he probably looked every bit the brat that his reputation seemed to sum him up to be, especially in the eyes of a demon like the gate guardian. Now there was a guy with a golden reputation, even if it was grossly exaggerated by the mortals in the living world.

Still, good old Satan was still one imposing mother fucker when he wanted to be.

Lucifer’s features didn’t so much as move as his voice boomed, low and gravelly, sounding like it was coming from the very earth of the place. The ground shook a little with every word the creature uttered, as though it took energy from the surrounds to form the words that Eren or other demons would inevitably hear. And that shit was just freaking cool.

Eren couldn’t help but be impressed with the display, it got him every time. Lucifer, Satan, the Devil, whatever you wanted to call him, was so large that he physically could not speak. It was only because of his own power and status as a demon that he could communicate at all.

It was magnificently daunting any way you looked at it. How many years had Lucifer spent eating souls to get that kind of power? How many souls had been tossed back behind those colossal jaws?

Eren shivered just thinking about it. He had to be one of _them_. There was no doubt about it.

Titan born. And stuck in his shifted form more often than not these days. Eren had only seen Lucifer's non-shifted form once before and he often wondered why the guy didn't like to strut about in his skin more often. But no, the gate guardian spent most days in his colossal form trudging back and forth about the largest of the mirrors in Hell.

Too bad the guy had no ambition, or else he could have been a real help to Eren and the others-

“ _Rivaille’s been asking after you._ ” The rumbling voice was like a ripple of thunder, tearing the brunette’s focus away from his thoughts and back to the demon before him.

Right, conversation with the incredibly large demon now, plans later.

“That so?” Eren responded, eyes flashing a little at the mention of his mate. His very impatient, really quite childish mate. The brunette nodded, shaggy hair falling over his eyes but he swept the locks back with a toss of his head and looked up at the amber-eyed demon. “And what did you tell him?”

Those golden eyes glowed eerily in their watchfulness, giving nothing away.

“ _Nothing that he didn’t already know._ ” Lucifer replied, vague as always.

Teal eyes cast an irritated look skywards before the brunette turned on his heel again.

“Right, right.” The boy muttered, waving over his shoulder. “Thanks for that, Lucy, dear. Keep up the good work.”

Eren was off and out of there in a rush of smoke and blue fire before the gargantuan demon could say anything about the nickname that the brunette may or may not have promised to stop using. The young demon’s wings kept him hurtling away at a good pace; the most anything would see would be the burning pinpricks of his eyes as he rocketed across the sky. Still, the boy could feel Lucifer’s great yellow eyes burning into him for several long minutes before the guardian returned his focus to the mirror he was supposed to be keeping track of.

Letting loose a shiver of relief once the feeling of being watched ebbed, Eren could fly a little easier. His fiery eyes scanned the charred and barren ground below, picking out crawling fiends and lower-level demons scrabbling about in the dirt and ash of their world.

He thought about his plans, particularly the one that would start tonight to gain him Rivaille’s trust, and the boy’s face paled a little.

“This is such a stupid idea…” the brunette muttered to himself, shaking his head.

Dark brown locks whipped back against his face from the wind when the demon broke into a great, sweeping dive for the ground once the black stone of Rivaille’s castle came into view. The outer volcanoes were spewing forth scorching, molten rock down the sides of the mountains, the inner peaks frosted over as per usual. Nothing to worry about.

Eren’s wings fanned out to stop himself a metre or so from the ground, the heavy wingbeats whipping up soot and dust until the brunette dropped to the earth.

Blue-green fire licked at the boy’s form as he allowed himself to lose his wings, his claws and at least half of his scales retreated. Spine-tipped tail reverting into the soft, fuzz-covered tail that Rivaille seemed so fond of, Eren swallowed as he started forward towards the castle gates.

“It’ll be okay…” the brunette whispered to himself, looking up at the glowing windows of the structure.

Maybe it would be okay? Rivaille couldn’t possibly be angered or upset by affectionate attention from his mate, could he? Even if he was an unstable son of a gun at the best of times. Eren sucked in a mildly panicked breath, trying to force himself to be calm.

Breathe, it’s fine, just breathe. No big deal, just an evening of fooling around with a deranged psychopath. What could go wrong?

Striding in past the gates, into the foyer, Eren shook his head at himself.

This was so very far from a good idea.

This could potentially be a terrible, awful idea and...and...

Red. _Red?_ Pausing with a frown, Eren paused to look up.

The brunette registered the colour and jerked to a stop, letting his eyes flick around to take in the interior of Rivaille's castle. There was no blood, thank goodness, which had been the brunette's initial fear, but...that didn't mean that nothing was out of place.

That was one shitload of red. Had someone decorated? Who the fuck decorated in Hell?

Deep burgundy carpet covered the usually bare stone floors; great rolls of the stuff were laid out in the halls, along with matching curtains at every window and even a few tapestries here and there. All kinds of things had been brought out from wherever Rivaille stored these kinds of spoils, things that had been stolen from the living world a long, _long_ time ago. The dining hall was the most extravagant of all the rooms. The soft carpets were there as well, arranged about the wooden tables and benches, along with rugs on the floor and furs and hides strewn over seats. Golden chalices sat out atop the mantelpiece along with a grand mirror that the raven-haired demon had not touched for centuries (not since he had discovered that he could no longer use the Way Through). Suffice to say...it was a sight that the teal-eyed brunette had not expected to see, least of all here.

The boy's nest of blankets was gone, the thought that Rivaille had removed the bedding there causing a rueful knot to twist in Eren's belly. The notion of spending another night locked away in his cold dungeon cell made the brunette curl his arms about his waist anxiously, ears pressing against his head a little.

And then-

“Eren!” A cheery voice cried out from somewhere behind the boy.

A whoosh of rushing air was all the warning the brunette received before a weight crashed suddenly into his side. Eren keeled over with a panicked ‘eep’ as he was pounced upon by a very eager Rivaille, the smaller demon unbalancing them both in his excitement. The pair of demons crashed to the floor and suddenly the boy was more than grateful for the rugs covering the stone, but he still had to be the one to cushion the smaller demon's fall.

Wincing, the brunette made a sound of complaint.

“Dammit, Rivaille...”

Eren gave a strained groan, shoving a little at the raven already scrabbling for purchase. Rivaille's claws clicked whenever they scraped against stone, but for the most part the raven was careful not to tear the rug that they had landed on as he hurried to pin the boy down. Eren squirmed beneath him, but the brunette wasn't complaining at having his wrists tugged together and trapped in one of the raven's pale hands.

He did, however, make a noise of complaint at the dark-haired demon’s attire of choice, namely a strip of cloth. Dark velvet that looped over one shoulder and barely covered more than was strictly acceptable for normal public standards. And Eren hated how crazy it made him inside, too hot and achy all of a sudden.

Nose tucked against the younger demon's neck, Rivaille scented him with eager, shaky breaths. He had missed the brat and it wasn’t often that he got to breath exclusively of Eren’s scent. However the unique smell of Eren was tainted with human stink. Pulling back to sit atop the boy's stomach, the raven-haired demon wrinkled his nose a little, hovering.

“You reek of that mortal.” He muttered accusingly, making a face briefly before setting his mouth to Eren’s skin with no further warning.

“Ack!" The brunette jerked a little at the hot tongue sliding along the shell of his ear, rolling his eyes. "Yeah I missed you too, asshole.” Eren muttered sarcastically.

The brunette squirmed, pushing at Rivaille’s chest to see if he could back the smaller demon up at all. Unfortunately, the older male had other ideas. The raven pressed him against the floor with a soft growl, his mind set on replacing the stench of human scent with his own. Body draped over the younger demon’s, Rivaille placed his knees alongside Eren’s hips to keep the brunette still and settled his weight on his hands and knees.

One hand came to rest on Eren's jaw, keeping the boy's head against the rug and baring his mate's throat, the other hand releasing the younger demon's wrists to land beside the boy’s head to brace Rivaille’s weight. A low growl stirred in the brunette's chest at having his throat forcibly bared, the sound meant to be a challenge. Rivaille only scoffed, nipping at the boy’s neck and feeling Eren stiffen beneath him. It was barely resistance. The brunette squirmed, lips parted around a quiet sound of surprise when he felt teeth drag against his flesh teasingly.

Rivaille knew full well that if Eren wanted him to back off, he would try much harder.

“No fight in you today..?” The raven hummed out in between lapping at the boy's throat, black tongue sliding along the dampened flesh.

The skin soon became slick under the attention, heating up with every lap and nip of teeth. Rivaille snaked a hand up to capture Eren's wrists again, enjoying the way it made his young mate squirm.

Exhaling through his nose, the brunette kept quiet and forced himself to relax. Not for the first time, Eren was grateful that his heart was long dead, or else Rivaille would hear a rapidly pounding rhythm beating away inside the boy's ribs. Breathing steadily, the younger demon let the tension seep out of his limbs and became the equivalent of a rag-doll beneath the raven.

Usually something like that would be more than enough to appease his mate, but a bitter flare still resided within silver orbs.

“What's the matter, hmm?” Rivaille cooed in a sickly sweet tone. “All tame after a good two days of fucking with your mortal lover?”

“Let’s not talk about that.” Eren said quickly, his lesson already learned well from Levi’s outburst earlier that day. “Let’s not talk about anything.”

“Hoh?” The raven-haired demon made an incredulous sound and rocked back to look down at the brunette through silvery orbs that swam like mercury. “First you go and fuck a mortal and now you think that you can give me orders? Cheeky brat.”

Eren swallowed, noticing his mate’s gaze follow the movement, and then did it again just to watch Rivaille grow distracted. The raven gave a low purr of a hum, his tail sliding against the rug behind him, the scaled appendage chasing Eren’s furry tail to twine about it.

“You know I really ought to discipline you for such insolent disobedience.” Rivaille murmured, bending to press his lips against one prominent collar bone.

Breathing in slightly rougher pants, Eren let his head loll back against the floor.

“Going to teach me a lesson, Sir?” The brunette asked, managing to keep most of the challenge out of his tone.

Rivaille only exhaled his amusement, sucking harshly at the boy’s skin and making a sound of relish at the protesting whimper it drew from his mate.

“No point.” The raven muttered, pressing a smacking kiss to Eren’s heated skin. “You wouldn't learn anything. You're nothing if not stubborn, you little twerp.”

“Such a sweet-talker.” The boy stretched out, flexing his arms within the binds of Rivaille’s hand, arching his back just a little to lift the older demon just slightly.

It was enough to unsettle the male’s balance and he snarled in annoyance, shifting and releasing Eren’s wrists to find better purchase when the brunette settled against the rug again.

“You've no idea.” Rivaille muttered, flashing a devilish smile at his mate.

Eren found himself chuckling, teal eyes rolling in amusement or tediousness, he couldn't tell.

“So...what's the occasion?” The boy nodded at their surroundings when Rivaille cast him a confused look. “You redecorated?”

Silver orbs flickered about the room for a moment before the raven smirked, relaxing a little as he shifted.

“You noticed?”

“Uh...yeah. It was a bit hard to miss, to be honest.”

Rivaille huffed out a laugh, his shoulders shaking as he did so, and the raven settled himself more comfortably. Tongue darting out to resume its work of washing the brat clean of any and all human stink, the smaller male nestled closer to Eren as he worked.

“No comment, then?" The brunette asked, arching a brow in silent query. "You just decided to pull out every decadent thing you own and dress up the castle? For no reason?”

Rivaille didn't miss the suspicion in the boy's voice, but it only served to make the raven's lips curve into a little smile.

“There's a reason, you'll see.”

“That's not an answer that makes me feel any less suspicious, just so you know.”

“Never mind about all that, dear one. Don't worry your pretty little head over it." Rivaille paused, his smile turning a strange mix of sly and seductive. It was an odd combination, but Eren found himself leaning closer. "You promised me something, Eren. Remember? What did you promise me?”

Ah...that's right.

The sound of the boy swallowing seemed far louder than it usually would and Eren almost winced, but he forced himself to keep calm.

“You...you want to play right now?” Eren asked, just to confirm, just to be certain.

Rivaille gave a delighted hum, the sound a musical little purr. “I love it when you give me the answers I want to hear.”

“So soon?”

“Soon?" The raven deadpanned at that, the amusement dropping from his features. "Do you know how long I've been waiting here for you?”

“I know it's been days-”

“Try weeks, brat.”

“I'm still not sure that we...”

Eren trailed off as the demon before him let out a high whine of complaint and threw himself backwards onto the plush carpet of the rug.

“Ereeen!” The raven drew out the boy's name in a whiny tone, collapsing on the carpet and thumping his tail against the floor in tantrum. “I only want to play. Just a little? Just a taste? Come on, Eren, I've been waiting for so long.”

Before the boy could even respond, Rivaille was scrambling up again and setting his lips to Eren’s leg. A single kiss was pressed to the brunette’s skin.

“Drop the illusion, Eren.”

Another kiss, this time to the side of the boy’s knee.

“Please?”

Rivaille slid his hands along the tops of the brunette’s thighs, feeling the boy shudder at the touch. Tipping his head to the side, the younger demon let light filter over himself and his illusion broke. That was all the raven-haired demon needed, giving a little appreciative groan when his eyes trailed along tan skin, and he shifted eagerly. Rivaille growled, crawling up Eren's body and trailing open-mouthed kisses from his abdomen to his chest, and all the while he pleaded.

“Please? Let me have this.”

“I'm begging, here.”

“Eren? Don't ignore me.”

“Just this once? I promise I won't bite your dick off.”

“Eren?”

“Eren...”

“Eren...you're my mate and I want you. Don't you want a taste too?”

The air in Eren's lungs left in a rush at those last words. He knew what Rivaille was referring to, the ritual of partaking of blood, something done only by a mated pair, mostly to seal the bond. A bite, most commonly somewhere on the neck, was distributed by both partners as a physical sign that they belonged to one another. This was one of the most intimate rituals that a demon could perform and usually took place during copulation so that a strong bond could be formed between both partners.

But…would the raven really let Eren have something like that? Rivaille never seemed like the type, he was never one to uphold law; he was far too unpredictable for that.

And now here he was, offering to let Eren bite him...to actually taste his flesh. It was something that Rivaille had done with Eren many times, but the raven never let Eren bite him. Not that the boy had tried to all that much, only a few times in desperation or challenge.

To have it offered though...

“Well look at that,” the raven-haired demon purred against Eren’s mouth, “...someone's happy down there.” The smirk was evident in Rivaille's tone as he glanced down between them.

True enough, the thought of being granted that kind of trust by his mate, to be able to know the bliss of tasting Rivaille's blood, was exciting enough to arouse the brunette.

It was a low tactic on the raven's part and Eren couldn't help but growl at him a little, certain that Rivaille wouldn't uphold his end of the deal. The raven didn’t fight fair, why would he play fair either? The wraith wanted something and he would do whatever it took to get that. No doubt the older demon was simply saying whatever it would take to get him what he wanted in that moment.

It wouldn't have been the first time.

The raven let his eyes wander while the brunette bit his lip and fought his own thoughts. Silver orbs traced over tensing muscles, hovering over pert nipples for a moment before weaving lower. Rivaille’s dark tongue peeked out to run over his lips at the sight of Eren’s clenching abdominals, leading down the v of muscle at the brunette’s groin. And, last but very certainly not least, the straining, rock hard evidence that Eren couldn’t control his body’s desire to be joined with its mate. No matter how much the younger demon claimed to hate him, Eren's body never lied. And, for a creature who craved truth above all else, Rivaille was rendered even more smitten with his young mate than he had been before.

Tucking his claws away, the raven ghosted pale hands down the boy’s belly to massage around the straining pink organ resting against Eren’s stomach. The brat had such a pretty cock, so needy with the way it leaked without even being touched. Rivaille hummed low in his throat, smiling fondly at the way the boy’s length twitched with every press of fingers around it, Eren’s body desperate to have more of the raven’s touches even as they boy's mind rebelled.

With a bit of a start, Rivaille noticed that Eren was actually a little longer than him, something that had escaped his notice until he had the brunette there fully erect. He supposed, given the differences in their physique and his own shorter stature, that it should have crossed his mind as a possibility before. No matter; Rivaille could still have Eren panting and whining and begging with nothing more than he already possessed.

But first thing’s first, Eren needed to give his consent.

“Can I play with you, lamb?”

Squirming, Eren tried to gather his thoughts. This was going exactly where he hadn’t planned. He was the one supposed to be making a damned move, but Rivaille’s hands were so distracting against his skin and in all the right ways. Or all the wrongs ways, Eren couldn't tell anymore.

“I…” the brunette’s throat closed to trap in a moan when the raven cupped his sac, massaging the swollen pouch tenderly. Eren’s eyes snapped shut, blinking open a moment later and he cleared his throat, “actually, I…”

“Please, Eren?” Came the soft-spoken plea.

The brunette damn near melted at the honeyed purr that was Rivaille’s voice. And there went the boy's resolve.

“Ah, fuck it. Just touch me.”

The deep hum of a chuckle that left the raven’s throat was nothing short of a sin, but Eren had no problem swimming in sin if it meant that he could have that voice purring in his ear all night long.

“As you command, little fox.”

 

It couldn't have just been a simple damned handjob, oh no, Rivaille had to make Eren squirm, writhe, and his hand worked so very slowly that Eren felt he may never be able to work the heat in his belly high enough to earn his release.

But that seemed to be the point.

Even this, Rivaille’s hands teasing every inch of him, was torture. Just on a whole new level. Eren felt as though he had to be vibrating with his need for release, the heat that had built gradually in his gut spread throughout his whole body. His limbs trembled, shaking with need, and every last inch of the boy’s skin tingled, on edge.

It was far from pleasant, the brunette just wanted to feel that familiar weight lift up and leave him. Instead the heat seemed to weigh him down and trap him. But no matter how much he pleaded, Rivaille wouldn’t give him what he asked. So the boy turned his pout off to one side, petulantly scowling off to one side of the room while the raven-haired demon ran his hands over his length.

When he did cum, it was only after a long, agonising cycle of being worked up right to the edge of release and then being denied of the last few strokes that it would have taken to tip him over. Eren’s hips jerked and bucked of their own accord by that point, the boy didn’t even bother trying to fight his own reactions other than biting back moans.

He was too hot, sweating and begging for his release with everything but words.

Rivaille’s voice seemed to echo in the room, to ring in Eren’s ears in an almost endless chant of commands that steadily merged together until the raven was whispering into his ear.

“You don't get to cum unless I say so. Got it?”

“B-But-”

“No, none of that. If you want to cum, you have to _ask_.”

“Come on, Eren; let's hear that pretty voice of yours.”

“Tell me, little one.”

“Say the words.”

“ _Sing_ , precious. Sing for me.”

The brunette wanted to snarl and rebel, to push Rivaille back and tell him that he wasn't permitted to play these games. But then the raven ducked his head and flicked out his tongue, teasing along the sensitive ridge on the underside of the boy's cockhead, and Eren gasped out the words without thinking.

“Please, Sir, can I cum?”

“What was that?” Rivaille teased him, sitting back and rolling his palm over the head of the brunette's length. “I couldn't quite hear you?”

The boy gave a long, low groan that tapered off into a high, desperate whine. And then the floodgates broke and Eren was babbling and begging so much more frantically than Rivaille could have hoped for.

“Can I cum? Please, shit, can I? Can I cum, can I cum, can I-ah-hah! Fuck, please, let me, say I can, God, Rivaille, _Rivaille_ \--!”

Rivaille looked up at the begging brunette from where he sat between the kid’s legs, smiling at the desperate demon. Eren was nearly crying, his legs shaking where they were propped up, bent at the knees.

Leaning down to press a kiss to the boy’s knee, Rivaille smiled. “Go on, then.”

It was like a dam broke inside the kid.

Eren jerked, muscles tensing, and his legs half buckled in their attempt to wrap around the raven. The younger demon cried out, his cry almost a scream and Rivaille shuddered in delight when Eren made the same broken moan that he had when he had been in terrible pain…and came.

And it was beautiful. The boy’s face twisted in agonised bliss as his orgasm hit him hard. The muscles under Rivaille’s hands clenched, tensing up, and hot ropes of Eren’s cum splattered across the brat’s stomach. Some of the stuff reached as high as his chin and Rivaille gave a delighted chuckle at the sight.

“Perfection.” He murmured, reverent.

Eren’s ears were ringing, blood roaring in his head, and the first sound he heard was the high-pitched gasps of his own ragged breathing. His limbs were almost numb in their relief, relaxing with a light tingle.

Skin shifted against the boy's flesh, hot and oversensitive, and he looked down in time to see Rivaille bend to press his mouth to the juncture where Eren's leg joined with his torso. A bolt of fear shot through the brunette at the thought of the raven’s wicked teeth so close to his naked skin. Fearing that he was going to be bitten, Eren gave a breathless sound of alarm before he realised that the raven wasn't using his teeth. Instead, Rivaille was licking, sucking at the messy trail of Eren's own cum in between open-mouth kisses.

The brunette could scarcely believe his eyes, unable to stop the moan that escaped his throat at the sight of Rivaille working his way up his body. Exhausted as the sound was, it was enough to prompt a little noise out of the raven in response. Tongue working away against tingling skin, not leaving a single drop behind, it was too much in the post-coital haze of Eren's mind.

Still buzzing, still so very much on a high, the boy's mouth hung open as he panted for breath. He was hot and sated; whimpering each time the raven's progress up his body caused him to graze the boy's spent cock.

Rivaille's pleased hum sounded in the boy's ears and suddenly the demon was right there, right in front of Eren's face, and the brunette didn't so much as flinch.

The raven smiled at the dazed brunette. “Good?”

Eren made a pitiful sound in response, earning him another low chuckle. So much for him sucking Rivaille off. But fuck it; he was too tired to complain.

“I'll take that as a yes.”

The raven smirked, cupping Eren's face in his hands, thumbs stroking over flushed cheeks. Leaning closer, Rivaille flicked out his tongue to lick at the boy's lips, lapping at his mate's open mouth while the younger demon panted for breath on instinct. The proximity, the intimacy of what had transpired and the overwhelming smell of _mate_ so close, invading his lungs with every breath, was more than enough to leave the brunette dazed.

Eren lay defenceless against his mate, sleepy and all but welcoming the dark tongue that kept sliding into his mouth.

“Good boy.”

A kiss was pressed to each of the boy's temples as the brunette recovered.

“And you thought I was only capable of inflicting pain?” Rivaille’s voice crooned softly in the boy’s ear, low and tender. “I can make you feel good too, Eren. Maybe now you'll let me take you?” The raven murmured against the teal-eyed demon's chest, mouthing at his skin while a hand crept its way dangerously close to the boy's ass. “Let me bed you..?”

The brunette's eyes widened and he jerked away from the searching hand, scrambling back a little ways.

“No!” Eren exclaimed a great deal louder than he had intended to.

But it succeeded in stopping the raven’s advances as the silver-eyed male paused, leaning back to regard him. Eren could feel panic rising in him as Rivaille's eyes began to darken. He hated being told no.

“No?” The dark-haired demon repeated in query, eyes slitted.

There was no suspicion in those shining orbs, though, and Eren desperately wished to keep it that way.

The boy hurried to find his words. “N-Not yet.”

Rivaille's features shifted, morphing into a little frown that was a mix of emotions: irritation, confusion and frustration all together.

“Not yet?” He murmured, tone vaguely questioning, silver eyes seeking wide teal. “Why not?”

“Just...” Eren paused, trying to find the right thing to say, “I don't want-”

“You don't want me?” Rivaille finished for him, but the brunette wouldn’t let the raven turn this into another argument.

“To move too fast.” Eren stated, surprised at how sure he sounded. “I want to...to savour you.”

It might not have been the perfect excuse, but the raven wasn’t advancing. Silver eyes stared almost blankly at the boy for a long moment.

“...right.” Rivaille muttered icily at last, his gaze dropping from the brunette’s face to focus on somewhere a little lower. “Speaking of savouring...”

Suddenly the raven-haired demon shoved at Eren's shoulders, pushing the boy back against the rug harshly. Before the brunette could get his bearings or even think to struggle, he felt the press of teeth against his throat.

“R- _Rivai-lle!_ ”

Eren choked out a yelp as the raven sank his teeth into the boy's neck, sharp teeth breaking through the skin slowly and the brunette could feel warm blood running down his neck. His body jerked, tensing anew, and the boy's hands scrambled against the floor. It hurt, but something in the brunette's mind was telling Eren that this was something that he wanted. With how relaxed he had been beforehand, the feeling of Rivaille setting his teeth to him in such a claim had Eren's flesh tingling almost pleasantly.

The dark-haired man pulled back and let out a long sigh. “Ah, just how I remember.” The raven purred, the sound barely more than a soft growl in his throat.

He licked his lips, tongue catching the glistening red painted on his mouth and he groaned at the taste. Sweet where blood should have a naturally salted tang, Rivaille knew that it was because Eren was his fated one that made him taste so divine. Spice teased on the raven's tongue, as well as something sweet...if the dark-haired demon recalled correctly, the flavour was apples and cinnamon. Perfect...did the brat realise what a walking tease he was?

“Eren...” the raven breathed, crawling forward and bending to kiss the brunette, bloodstained tongue slipping inside his mate's mouth.

How Eren wished it wasn't turning him on, but he couldn't help what he was into. Being bitten, especially having the raven claim his throat in such a way for any other creature to see, stirred such an instinctual response within the boy. Primal, animalistic, nothing like the complicated courting rituals of the human world. To have Rivaille, his mate, bite him, taste his very blood and like it, _praise_ him for being so good, for submitting himself to be tasted...Eren almost hated the sense of satisfaction that it gave him.

But he couldn't bring himself to let that hate take hold.

The brunette had been so careful around his human, not biting him once in fear of damaging the man. But Rivaille...he was different, durable and he didn't mind pain. In fact, he enjoyed it. If Eren could let his inner beast out here, then he could better control his instincts with Levi. And if he could keep Levi safe, then it was worth every moment of insanity here. So Eren let a low growl rumble in his chest when the taste of his own blood washed over his tongue, tilting his head to the side to entice the raven closer.

And Eren didn't get into trouble when his teeth caught the raven's tongue in his mouth, listening to the dark chuckle that sounded like oozing honey in the other demon's throat. If anything, that was a sign of approval. But soon enough Eren felt the raven's talons unsheathe themselves to press against his skin and rake lightly down his sides in silent warning not to get ahead of himself.

The brunette still wasn't permitted to draw blood. It was an unspoken agreement between the two, a show of power that the raven-haired demon had over the boy. Reluctantly, the brunette relaxed his jaw to let Rivaille draw his tongue back.

And suddenly Eren felt dreadfully drained, sagging against the floor.

“Such a good boy,” the raven praised, “my perfect little lamb.”

A drowsy slur of words were mumbled and even Eren wasn’t sure what he had been trying to say, too busy flushing pink with embarrassment at being so thoroughly spent from just a damned handjob and a bite. But Rivaille was nothing if not practiced. Of course the raven couldn’t have looked more self-satisfied if he’d tried. The bastard. It was a pouting Eren who let his head loll to one side, looking sadly at the far wall.

"What's the matter, pet?" The raven murmured gently, nuzzling the boy's jaw. "Are you upset with me?"

Eren wouldn't admit that he had been hopeful that the raven would make good on his promise to let him taste the nectar of his blood. He wouldn't give his mate the satisfaction. But of course Rivaille already knew. Eren could tell by the way he hummed, the sound low and fond in amusement.

“Sleepy brat. I keep my promises, precious. All in good time.” Rivaille cooed down at the brunette, smirking at the face Eren made when his cheek was tugged at by pale fingers. “Ready for bed, Eren?”

A protesting whimper left the demon boy’s lips, a sound that was quickly hushed by the raven.

“Just to sleep, silly lamb.” The smaller demon crooned soothingly, running gentle hands over the brunette’s skin as he bent to scoop the boy up. “You’ve earned it.”

Eren was too tired to complain at being carried, resting his head against the raven’s chest as they were surrounded by smoke for a moment. The boy’s bleary eyes couldn’t quite make out where they ended up, for it was gloomy and unlit, but Rivaille laid him down on something delightfully soft and the tension began to seep from Eren’s limbs.

“Goodnight, Eren.”

The younger demon managed a slur of words in response, but moments later he was fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammit Eren.  
> Am I the only one who thinks that Lucifer's nickname would be Lucy?  
> What do ya'll think of Rivaille's redecorating? What could it possibly be for?  
> I'll try to get some writing done tomorrow, maybe. My cousins are down so I can't marathon Supernatural. Which means writing. HURRAY! So hopefully I'll be able to get another chapter done in a day or two ^_^  
> Thanks to everyone and I'm so sorry once again. Thank you for being so patient with me. *a thousand apologies*


	45. Celebrations - A Prior Engagement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE. O_O  
> *throws*

“One taste to curb my appetite is not enough tonight to feed my animal.” – The Relay Company, Animals.

***

 

Warm...the demon boy looked lost in his little world of darkness and comfort. Cosy warmth surrounded the brunet on all sides. Eren lay on his stomach, one hand strewn across the pillow that his head rested on while the other remained by his side.

Rivaille watched him from the doorway. His gorgeous little mate had been asleep all night and now it was growing close to evening again. The dark-haired demon wondered if Eren would ever wake. The boy seemed to have his heart set on becoming the next sleeping beauty. And he was such a beautiful thing to watch.

Bottom lip pulled between his teeth, the wraith started forward when the brunet stretched with a sleepy sound. Pale limbs slithered across the burgundy sheets, the smooth satin kissing the raven's skin as he moved. Rivaille crawled across the mattress of the bed...his bed...where Eren was sleeping. Could anything be more perfect that than? A quiet, thrumming purr started in the raven's throat, low and quiet in the still air. As he bent to scent his mate, the smaller demon nosed the boy's nape to draw in his scent. Dark tongue flicking out, the silver-eyed demon gave the skin there a fond lick.

A sleepy grumble sounded from below him.

So Eren was awake at last? Rivaille gave a low hum. The soft purring never ceased as he licked up into the shorter strands of the brunet's hair above his nape. That apple and cinnamon flavour that the raven sometimes caught in the boy's scent was there on his skin. So subtle, a barely-there taste, and yet definitely present.

“Mrph...Rivaille..?”

The boy's grumbling voice came out muffled by the pillow he had buried his face in. The words, however, were still intelligible.

“Mm?” The raven hummed with his tongue against Eren's skin.

The sound sent little vibrations over the brunet's skin, raising gooseflesh in their wake. Lapping along the younger demon's throat, the raven's tongue encountered the barest remnants of coppery tang – leftover blood from his bite.

Rivaille groaned when the boy shuddered beneath him, the younger demon whimpering at the wet warmth. Eren couldn't help it, not with his mate licking over the bite mark from the night before.

“You haven't healed it?” Rivaille's voice murmured, low and almost reverent.

Obviously the brunet hadn't healed the mark; it was sitting there plain as day. The etching of Rivaille's teeth in bronze skin was surrounded by dark purple bruising. It should have been sore; any other injury would have left the flesh there tender and uncomfortable. But this bite was from mate and brought Eren only pleasure.

The brunet stretched out, flexing his arms above his head with a little groan.

“Mn...I like...being marked.” Eren mumbled into his pillow between stretches in response to the older demon's previous question.

The younger demon's words went straight to the raven's cock, stirring heat in his gut.

“Fuck, don't say things like that or I'll have to mark up every bit of you.” Rivaille groaned the words between kisses, fighting the urge to bite down.

Eren had only let his mate mark him due to the haze of passion; without it there was a greater chance of rebellion. And as much as Rivaille wanted to see his claiming bites covering every inch of the boy's tanned skin...it wasn't quite worth tarnishing the rapport he had worked so hard for.

He sucked on Eren's earlobe instead.

“Not a chance, old man.” The brunet sighed, a soft sound of contentment catching in his throat.

The denying of his wishes was not unexpected. Rivaille had not expected to convince the brunet to let him take him, mate him, lay his undeniable claim. That would take time and trust, especially trust. And the raven wanted Eren to trust him, even if the night wraith wasn't sure that he was trustworthy himself. But there was such a fierce hope in his chest, stirring his dormant heart to ache.

Rivaille wanted. He ached with the desire to have the gorgeous creature still stretching out drowsiness from his limbs. The raven knew how to suppress his inner cravings, had done so for centuries, but the want wasn't fading. Not this time.

“I want...” Rivaille began, biting his lip to stop the words.

He wanted to bed this beautiful creature, flip him over and crawl between tanned legs. Rivaille longed to feel the boy's thighs wrapped around his waist while Eren wailed in ecstasy. He wanted to mate this boy, take him for his own and lie for days just wrapped up in warmth. Rivaille had never mated a creature with the express intent to keep them. He had fucked countless creatures in search of distraction and brief escape from the bleak world in which he existed. Of course he had. There was far too much free time between jobs for the raven to sit idle. So he killed, he collected and he indulged in the pleasures of the flesh.

Until Eren came along and caught the raven's eye. Over time the urges to fuck lessened, shifting and changing to the urge to mate. The difference became immediate. Rivaille was horny as ever, but the only time he ever considered putting his dick anywhere near another creature was when that creature was Eren.

But he couldn't tell Eren any of this. The kid would kick him straight out of bed in an instant. Rivaille almost snickered at the thought. Only Eren could get away with kicking his mate out of his own bed.

“Hey, Rivaille...” the brunet spoke up, rubbing at his eye to remove the sleep from it, “what did you want?”

The older demon glanced off to one side, biting the inside of his cheek with a guilty sound. There were too many thoughts and desires running about in his head; he couldn't talk his way out of anything right now. Best to just avoid the subject.

“Nothing, Eren, I-”

“Wh-Where am I?” The brunet cut in before the raven could finish, raising his head to blink at the gloomy surroundings.

Ah...now came the part where Rivaille had to explain himself.

Last the boy had known, he had drifted off in the main hall. This place was definitely not the main hall. Eren felt warm and the bedding he was lying on was soft and smooth. It was dark in the room they were in but not so much that he couldn't see. A pleasant level of gloom.

The raven shifted above him. “We're in my chamber.”

Honesty was the best policy, especially with Eren. If the brunet was ever going to place his trust in Rivaille, then the older demon would need to hand out every available truth.

Eren stiffened beneath him and the raven-haired demon sighed.

He didn't blame his young mate for panicking upon waking up half pinned by his elder, and in Rivaille's bed no less. The raven-haired demon ran a hand through Eren's hair to comfort the boy.

“Don't be upset with me, I'm not here to try anything. But the dining hall..." Rivaille paused to chew the inside of his cheek, hiding a smirk. "Let's just say I'd rather not have had you spending the night there in naught but your skin. Not considering the circumstances.”

Rolling over, the brunet looked up at the raven-haired demon suspiciously.

“What circumstances?” Eren asked, sounding rather icy all of a sudden.

The boy knew that something was afoot, even if the details were lost to him at that moment. Rivaille only leaned down with a simpering smile, hovering just above the younger demon's lips.

“I'll tell you about it later.” He promised, ducking to kiss the boy's plump lips.

Eren kissed him back, albeit warily, and the raven could have back-flipped right out of the room for all the happiness it brought him. He pulled back with an elated glimmer in his silvery orbs.

“First, though, I was thinking slow sex, breakfast and a nap.”

Rivaille was pushing it. He knew it, too.

Eren eyed the smaller demon with wide Caribbean orbs, arching an eyebrow at the raven. “Are you feeling okay?”

At least Rivaille hadn't been kicked out of bed yet.

“Never better.” The raven answered.

The brunet shook his head up at the smaller male, giving a humourless chuckle as he rubbed at one eye. “Well you can kiss the morning sex goodbye.”

“Morning blow job then?” Rivaille said quickly, completely undeterred. “And technically it's not morning anyway.” The dark-haired demon mentioned with a shrug.

Eren blinked, frowning. “What time is it, then?”

“Evening.” The raven supplied.

“Well shit.” The brunet said, giving a little yawn. “Why didn't you wake me up?”

“You were exhausted.”

The boy eyed the older demon curiously. “I didn't think that would stop you.”

“Well it did.” The raven said matter-of-factly before crawling forwards a little. “So, evening blow job then?”

The brunette eased back a little only to have Rivaille follow him.

“I-I was going to say you're surprisingly energetic for a morning...” the boy trailed off, his cheeks painted pink with how close his mate was, “but even now, I don't remember you being this eager.”

Eager, oh yes. That Rivaille was, but this was no ordinary day. Eren would learn that soon enough.

“Come on,” the raven coaxed, bending to nip and suck at the skin of the brunet's shoulders, “I'll suck you off, you get to lie there, I'll even bring you food afterwards.”

Eren squirmed, trying to decide if he wanted to fist his hands in the sheets or Rivaille's hair. Or maybe he would just shove him off?

“Why are you being so...” the brunet trailed off, searching for the right word.

“Thoughtful?” Rivaille suggested helpfully.

Teal eyes blinked at the raven. “That's not the word I would have used.” Eren muttered in a dry tone.

Rivaille paused, leaning back enough for him to look at his mate's face. It was obvious that Eren was suspicious, but the brunet hadn't told him to stop yet. That was a good sign.

So the raven leaned in close, dabbing his mouth against Eren's in a soft kiss.

“I want to spend time with my mate.” Rivaille stated, making sure to get the words out there so that there could be no miscommunication between them. “And I don't mean any of that lovey dovey blankets in the park shit. No candle light dinner sap-fest either. Just your skin under my hands and your dick down my throat.” The raven arched a brow, holding Eren's gaze. “Think you can handle that?”

“Christ on a bike.” The brunet muttered, looking stunned.

Rivaille tilted his head to one side in confusion but Eren waved it off.

“N-Nothing, just...o-okay.”

The older demon smiled in response, leaning closer for a kiss that was almost lazy. Rivaille didn't rush, didn't set his mouth on Eren in a frenzy. The smaller male only kissed the brunet deeply, slipping his tongue into the warmth of Eren's mouth and exploring for a several long moments. Without the rush of passion, the brunet found himself both very aware of what was happening and extremely self-conscious. Rivaille was teasing him with slow flicks of his tongue, stroking the younger demon's tongue with his own as he tasted. Eren's eyes remained open, alarmed teal orbs focusing on cheeky silver, and after a tense stare-off the brunet flushed and closed his eyes.

Better to surrender to Rivaille's tongue than to engage in his mind games.

It was kind of nice laying back while his mate mapped out dips and crevices, nooks and crannies, and searched out every last bit of the brunet's mouth. Relaxing in a way that Eren had not expected, but that was probably all part of Rivaille's plan. The two mates had never shared any particularly long kisses before this and Eren hated himself for wanting to change that. Kissing Rivaille was electrifying, sending little shocks of adrenaline through the younger demon with every brush of his tongue.

Careful teeth nipped at the brunet's bottom lip and Rivaille sucked the soft flesh into his mouth. The feeling went straight to Eren's cock. A deep groan sounded, resonating in Eren's chest at the sensation, feeling his mate's tongue teasing the tender skin he was sucking. The older demon kissed so sensually when he wanted to, rolling their lower bodies together slowly to get the barest hint of friction. The thin satin sheet between them allowed Eren to feel the press of Rivaille's length as it slid against his, but the slip of cool satin against the rest of his skin was just as distracting. What had started as a simple kiss was suddenly an onslaught of sensation. What was more surprising was how very little either male was actually doing; just a little roll of the hips and some making out was more than enough to leave both male's tingling and hard. Rutting his hips up for more friction, Eren snaked his arms up and around Rivaille's shoulders. The brunet pulled his mate closer, helpless to stop the moan that escaped him when the raven wrapped his own arms around Eren in return, holding the kiss the entire time. The younger demon's hips bucked up again and Rivaille started rutting in earnest, pressing his body down on the brunet to grant them both better friction against each other and the slippery satin.

Rivaille broke away to suck in a breath that he didn't need – an excuse to suck a few dark marks into the skin of Eren's jaw. The raven nipped and pecked his way back to the brunet's mouth to reclaim it in a searing kiss, licking feverishly at Eren's parted lips while the boy gasped. Hands clawing at the raven's back, the younger male's features twisted up in bliss. Eren's brows pulled together, his lip held between gnawing teeth, and teal eyes closed.

Gorgeous. Rivaille would have felt privileged to witness his little mate in the throes of pleasure if he hadn't remembered that he was not the only one granted such a sight. The wraith wondered if this was what Eren looked like when his human spoiled him. Rivaille wondered how much sweeter the boy's expression of bliss would be while his Levi fucked him.

It mattered...because the raven-haired demon planned to make Eren squeal twice as loud, wanted to show him ten times the pleasure.

And he could. There were a million and one ways that Rivaille could wipe out any and all thought of this other man from Eren's mind. As his mate, the older demon's touch was designed to please. The only reason that the brunet had not felt any mind-numbing bliss thus far was because for so long Rivaille had focused on pain.

Eren would feel nothing but undiluted ecstasy this time.

Speaking of which, the young male was beginning to gasp more often then just pant. Rivaille swooped in to capture his mouth again, holding the brunet as close as he could without hurting the boy as he swivelled his hips to grind. A delicious moan was swallowed up to their kiss, poured from Eren's mouth right down Rivaille's throat like the sound belonged there, to be heard by no one else. That was just the way the raven wanted it too. He kept their mouths together, sealing off any sound. Eren seemed to realise this, moaning at the possessive display as he tried to clutch Rivaille closer even though they were as near to one another as they could be without...

Without...

Eren whimpered...but he wouldn't ask, wouldn't beg, for Rivaille to mate him.

It didn't matter; his whining said more than enough of his desires. The raven wouldn't claim him until Eren accepted that that was his fate, but it was enough to know that the brunet already wanted him so badly. Rivaille hummed his contentment, feeling the younger demon thrash at the feeling, pushing his hips up as much as he could with the raven rocking down.

A few pushes more and the brunet keened into his mate's mouth, the sound turning into a deep and desperate moan as he came. The satin that slid against his throbbing length grew damp, slick with his seed, and the brief moment of increased friction felt divine.

Rivaille made sure to still himself before Eren could become too sensitive, removing his weight from the brunet to coax the soiled sheet from his body. The younger male was too busy panting to be shy, welcoming the raven when he curled up next to the overheated boy. Nudging the brunet's head to one side gently, the smaller demon licked a fat stripe over the outline of his bite mark.

The most beautiful, drawn out moan shook free of the demon boy's lungs, rattling in his chest. Never had a broken sound seemed so wholly right. Eren seemed whole under the attention of his mate.

The sound was almost pained, but Rivaille knew otherwise. Just looking down the boy's body told him so, the younger male's still-hard cock a testament to how good it felt to simply have his mate pay attention to his first claiming mark. Rivaille couldn't wait till there were more, dozens more, and he would treat every one with the same reverence.

Soon, he promised himself, soon he would litter that perfect skin with claim.

But for now he kissed the brunet's open mouth, purring low in his throat when dazed teal eyes blinked blearily over at him. Slinking down the boy's form, Rivaille left a hand over the mark of his claim to rub gentle fingers over the skin there as he nipped lower. He hadn't been able to pay attention to his young mate's body before, had been too busy holding him, but now he would take every advantage of Eren's prolonged arousal.

Taking one pert nipple into his mouth, Rivaille rolled his tongue over the hardened nub and listened to the little sigh that the brunet gave. The boy was tired, his body relaxed after his orgasm, and the rosary of sighs was the only music that the raven's ministrations drew from the younger male. There was an occasional moan, high in pitch, whenever Rivaille sucked hard enough at either of the boy's nipples, now pink and nicely swollen. The raven gave each nub a last, tender lick before moving down. He grazed his teeth along the brunet's skin, the action raising goosebumps across bronze flesh. Eren shivered, pleased with the new sensation.

Long fingers traced around the etching of teeth as Rivaille hovered over the younger demon's weeping cock, glancing to Eren before he slid his mouth over the head. The brunet's lower back arced off the bed a little, an almost panicked moan sounding behind closed lips at the sudden rush of overwhelming pleasure.

Having already cum once, the younger male felt as though he were right back on the brink of orgasm from just a little sucking. But Rivaille kept taking more of him in and the sensation only got stronger, better, to the point where Eren thought he couldn't bare it. He could only gasp out pitching breaths, tensing up and trying not to thrash. There was a feeling not unlike electricity shocking its way through the demon, carrying with it an ecstasy that the teal-eyed boy had not known before. The bliss met halfway, pooling in his core from the raven's attention to his cock and the gentle stroking of Rivaille's fingers over his bite.

Too much.

A high, pitching whine forced its way free of the brunet's throat. Eren could feel his eyes tearing up at the corners, his body giving a few spasms when the smaller male pushed forward to take the boy's length into his throat. The heat around the brunet's arousal was so hot, impossibly so, and Eren opened his mouth around a silent keen when Rivaille swallowed around him, cupping his hand over his claiming mark in the same instant.

Eren could feel the raven swallowing as the brunet's cock shot his second load down his demon lover's throat. Not quite as much as the first time, but to the younger demon the feeling had been like balancing on the edge of a wire, not knowing whether he would fall on the side of life or death. That sensation, having the same pleasure as achieving orgasm but with no relief, had been maddening. Eren hadn't been sure that he would survive. For all he knew, Rivaille was going to eat him alive right after.

But the raven only hummed, releasing the boy's spent cock with one last, punishing suck. He wiped his mouth, grinning, as he slinked up the younger male's body to lie next to his mate.

“How's that, little one?” The raven purred, nuzzling the side of Eren's face.

The boy's skin was damp with sweat, much like the rest of him, and Rivaille set to grooming the younger demon while he recovered.

Eren couldn't find the words to answer Rivaille's question, not that he would have been able to speak them anyway. The brunet could only pant, staring in a daze at the canopy of the bed while the raven licked at his face, his shoulders and chest. Breathing soothed the brunet, even though his lungs no longer needed the air, and the boy's chest rose and fell unevenly for a few moments as Eren's breathing eventually calmed.

The pair rested for a little while before the smaller male ducked out of the room with a quick promise that he would be back in no time.

Eren couldn't help but let his dazed mind wander, wondering at how much his and Rivaille's relationship had changed and morphed. In such a short space of time the raven had tried so hard to become close with his mate. It was working, too. Eren still felt distrust and no small amount of fear whenever the dark-haired demon was in the room, but at the same time...there was something so right in being close, being intimate, with Rivaille.

Oh Christ, he was so, so fucked.

A shape appeared in the doorway and Eren knew it was his mate without looking up.

Rivaille returned with a platter of food and a smile. He insisted on feeding the boy, holding out little morsels for the brunet to eat. It wasn't just any food, though. Rivaille had brought mangoes, watermelon, pineapple, and a few fruits that Eren didn't know the names of. What was important, though, was that this was food from the living world.

“Where did you get this?” The younger demon asked around a mouthful of watermelon.

Some of the juice ran down his chin and Rivaille leaned closer to catch the sweet droplets, licking them up and huffing a laugh at the almost indignant look on Eren's face.

Rivaille leaned back with a smirk.

“I called in a favour and sent an old acquaintance to the other side.” The raven assured his mate, scooting close to the boy and holding out a strawberry for him to take. Rivaille smiled when the younger demon accepted the treat. “He brought me back plenty of mortal sustenance.”

“Why?” Eren frowned. “We don't need it.”

“No, but it tastes good all the same.”

The brunet couldn't argue with that, and tasting these fresh flavours rather than bitter demon meat was amazing.

But it made the younger demon's heart ache at the thought of other things he could find in the living world.

_I wonder what Levi's doing..._

But now was not the time to dwell on thoughts of Levi. It was Rivaille he was with now and, demon or not, he deserved Eren's attention. It would be like thinking of Rivaille when Levi was around. Of course it was impossible not to think of the demon or his reflection all the time, but Eren tried his best.

A thought crossed the younger demon's mind then.

“What did you mean about it not being okay for me to sleep in the hall?” Eren asked with a confused little frown, taking one of the few remaining pieces of fruit from Rivaille's fingers with his teeth.

Rivaille smiled at him, this one sly and languid.

Eren shivered.

“That's an interesting subject.” The raven chuckled to himself, turning mischievous eyes on the brunet. “Why don't you come downstairs and see?”

Rivaille left again, but not before making an unusual request of the brunet. He asked that Eren remain out of his warrior's form and to come directly to the main hall as soon as he was ready.

The demon boy had been confused, but he wouldn't understand the motives behind Rivaille's actions until after he had ventured to the hall.

 

Half an hour later...

Eren had never found the term 'there's going to be Hell to pay' more fitting than he did now.

After leaving the raven's chamber, the brunet had headed downstairs to the main hall in search of Rivaille. Without dressing. Just as his mate had requested. Eren hadn't seen the harm at the time. And of course he hadn't thought to use the stairs, making use of his teleportation ability to travel quicker.

Only when he arrived in the large room and blinked around...over a hundred pairs of eyes stared back at him. Eren spied wraiths and fiends and all kinds of hellish creatures, all of them gathered in the hall.

No...wait...the boy could hear more. The whole castle...it sounded as though the place was crawling with hundreds of these beasts. But why hadn't he been able to hear them before?

Swallowing, the brunet felt dread settle over his shoulders.

“Um...wrong room?” Eren managed to push out a few anxious words.

His stance was defensive and he knew it, but Eren didn't know enough about the situation to reign in the natural response.

This was not happening. All the decorating, the food, the attention, the sudden flood of fucking guests...

Rivaille had called a gathering. But why? And why wouldn't he tell Eren about it? Whatever the reason, it couldn't be good. Nothing good ever came from so many demons in one place.

Eren didn't have to wonder what was going on for long. The brunet was confused when his eyes spied a familiar blonde head of hair in the crown. And then it started forward towards him.

Armin. Armin was here, which instantly had the brunet's protective urges flaring up. Had Rivaille taken the boy prisoner? Was this all part of some new, sick game?

The flaxen-haired demon boy rushed over to his friend.

“Armin. What's happening? Are you alri-”

“Don't worry about me,” the blonde boy hissed in the quietest of whispers, his mouth pressed to Eren's ear to talk, “worry about you.”

“Me?”

“These people, they're all here for you.” Armin said quickly, his voice shaking with worry for his friend.

Teal orbs flashed, darting around rapidly to identify any immediate threats.

“What for?” Eren asked his friend, ready to fight if the need arose.

“No, it's not what you think. They're not here to hurt you. They're here for...for your...”

Armin cursed under his breath and whispered quieter still.

Teal eyes grew minutely wider at the words his friend said. Eren understood why Armin was there now. In fact he understood why any of the creatures were present. All it had taken were a few words whispered in his ear to make the boy's blood run cold.

The blonde had come to the castle for a reason, just like everyone else, and that reason was because he had been invited there. Invited by Rivaille himself, just like all the demons in the castle had been...

...to celebrate the end days of his and Eren's engagement.

“I'm sorry, Eren. Rivaille wouldn't let me tell you. Mikasa was invited also but I couldn't tell her. I didn't think you'd want her to see...well, you know.”

Eren did know.

This gathering was their engagement party...and one of the last few nights until Eren would belong to Rivaille, wholly and completely.

Rivaille was going to mate him. In three days' time. When this gathering came to a close. The whole company might even witness their mating, Eren had no idea.

He could only be grateful that at least Mikasa would not be in attendance. No doubt she would try something foolish like trying to stop Rivaille from claiming Eren. That would only result in a death match...

...and Rivaille would win.

Eren wanted to run.

“I'm so, so sorry, Eren.”

Armin was apologising beside him, but the brunet couldn't focus on that right now. His heart was clenching, chest tightening up with fear. The demon boy had a sudden urge to gasp for breath, or maybe faint. If only he could do either of those.

Eren wanted to run as far from this place as he could get. His whole body tingled with anticipation, his arms and legs coiled and ready to spring into motion. He wasn't ready for this, it was too much. Eren didn't want to go through the rituals, didn't want to have others watch as he was bitten, marked, until his skin was damp with his own blood. He didn't want to fight his Rivaille through that first mating, although Eren knew with every fibre of his being that he would. It was instinct, preservation. Other demons were dangerous and his body would naturally fight back, there would be no fighting that instinct. Eren would have more scars than skin by the end of these three days.

The brunet felt the urge to flee gripping at his limbs, trying to turn him around and push him for the door. But-

“Eren, finally.” Rivaille's voice sounded in that amused purr of his. “I thought you'd never join us.”

Armin scuttled off quickly, wary blue eyes fixed on his friend from the crowd.

A brief titter of laughter ensued at the raven's words as the night wraith broke through the crowd behind the brunet, running a hand up the demon boy's back as he passed. The gesture was a possessive one, a touch of ownership, and Eren began to feel self-conscious now that he understood what was happening. Rivaille was showing him off, bringing all his friends and fellow kin to see his precious mate. The brunet felt like shying away, but he held his ground, his eyes stern and challenging to anyone and everyone that looked at him.

Rivaille turned mischievous silver eyes on Eren, sauntering past him with a lazy smile.

“Relax, stop frowning.” The raven chided, his tail swishing against the floor as he walked. “We're here to celebrate.”

Eren could only stare, unable to find any words to say. Rivaille was back in his true form, scales, horns and all. The only thing that was missing were his wings, but there was no need for those at present. Somehow Eren wasn't all that surprised. The more he thought about it, the more the brunet felt like he should have known that something like this would occur. Sooner or later Rivaille was bound to get impatient.

Apparently that time had come.

The dark-haired demon strutted on through his guests, greeting a few as he went. No one dared to move any closer to Eren than they already were, but the brunet knew that it was not out of any fear of him. It was their fear or Rivaille, their respect of him as the authority present. Eren was his and only the raven was permitted to touch or command his mate. The raven walked all the way to the end of the hall near to the hearth where a very real fire blazed.

There beside the hearth sat Rivaille's throne of carved ebony stone, the raven's seat of power. Rivaille rarely used the thing, but it was useful for gatherings like this when the squabbling guests needed to know that there was someone in charge.

The raven took a seat there, turning his molten silver gaze on Eren. Lowering his lids, the raven raised a clawed hand to beckon his mate closer.

Gritting his teeth, Eren steeled himself and took the first step forwards.

It was going to be a long three days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So because I've been shite with this hiatus and all, I thought I'd give this to you guys now as my way of saying I'm really fucking sorry for being so crap.  
> This is one of those moments where I want to say “don't kill me, man, I swear I'll plot soon” but I'm not going to because technically this time the smut is part of the plot. And you'll see why. One day. When I can actually write reliably again.  
> *cries*  
> Mid to late October, guys.  
> I started writing this before I had any idea what a/b/o was or that it even existed. And yet...has anyone else noticed how frick fracking similar a lot of the dynamics are here? At least in the demon lore concerning mates? I just noticed and sat there for a minute going o_o well then, you started a/b/o before you even knew what it was. A+ authoring.  
> Before y'all get excited, I'll point out that this is a fluke update that shouldn't have actually been posted but I had free time enough to get it done so you could have this early. The rest of the updates probably won't come until late October like I've mentioned, sorry about that.  
> Also, just so it doesn't cause any confusion, I've started using the proper 'brunet' 'brunette' thing since it was pointed out to me, but I have yet to go back over everything to fix previous errors. So I'll get around to that. One day. Maybe. I'll try. But yeah, from now on the gender thing with brunet and brunette actually counts for something. Like with raven and ravenette. There. Glad we settled that.


	46. Celebrations - First Move

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took too long to get out, I know. But I couldn't half-ass it, I hope you understand. We're getting into the bonding between Eren and Rivaille now and I don't want to skim over any details so I've been re-working this chapter over and over again...and I'm finally happy with it.  
> Sorry for the wait, but hopefully the quality will make up for it. I hope. If you spot a mistake, please let me know!  
> Without further ado, enjoy!

“Soul, open your wings. Lift this cage higher than any dream.” – A Boy And His Kite, Cover Your Tracks.

***

 

“So...Eren is a demon.”

Levi sat on on of the sofas in Hanji's living room, watching his friend talking aloud to herself as she processed everything that he had told her. The woman switched between pacing and sitting on the sofa, the floor, anything that could hold her weight. She was more twitchy than usual, but it seemed like a good thing. Hanji's hair was wild from the constant tugging that it had suffered thanks to the woman's excitement. Yes. Excitement. Not fear or concern or anger, nothing like the raven-haired man had thought to anticipate. It had taken a whole day to get the story out in between breaks whenever the crazed brunette butt in to ask a million and one questions. But eventually they had gotten through all the little details, all the nitty gritty, down to right then and there.

And now here they were.

The raven gave a nod. “Eren is a demon.” He murmured in agreement.

Levi figured that it was best to confirm the woman's theories even though she probably wasn't even talking to him anymore, too wrapped up in her thoughts. Normally that might have been disturbing, but considering their topic of conversation the raven could let the odd habit slide just this once.

The brunette rocked back and forth, chewing her bottom lip in thought. Her eyes, wide and shining, snapped up to lock with grey orbs.

“Eren isn't...human?”

Levi shook his head, exhaling wearily. “Nope.”

At least the more complicated queries seemed to have come to an end.

Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly considering that it was Hanji, the bespectacled brunette had taken the news that Eren was a demonic being remarkably well. Levi felt more like he was at show and tell in some kindergarten class rather than an adult having an adult discussion. At least that was what Hanji's reaction made him feel. It had been all too easy to explain to the woman how the demon boy's human form was a simple guise, a transformation to keep his true form at bay. Of course Hanji had wanted to see what Eren would look like without this camouflage. Levi didn't really have an answer to give her on that front, although he suspected that it would be a bad idea for Eren to go traipsing about in a form meant for Hell.

Finally, after all of the explaining, after each and every question that had arisen, the two friends sat in a few minutes of relative silence. Birds chirped merrily outside, separating the rest of the world and it's jovial passing from the heavy quiet that enveloped Hanji's living room.

After a moment in which the raven could almost feel time ticking by, the brunette spoke up.

“I can't tell anyone about this, right?” Hanji murmured, watching Levi over steepled fingers.

“God no.”

The raven-haired man shook his head slowly, fearing that anything faster would give him a headache. Too much had happened in his life recently and everything in him threatened to break, to burst and flood him with emotions that Levi wasn't ready to face head on. First Eren, then Erwin, and now a twisted copy of himself? Or was he the copy? According to Eren, everyone was reincarnated eventually. So which of them was the original? How different were they from the very first version of themselves?

Hanji started talking again and Levi thanked her inwardly, afraid of where his thoughts might take him.

“Hmm.” The brunette gave a long, low hum, tapping a finger against her mouth and giving a nod. “Alright. Well if I agree to this, you have to let me run some tests on that kid-er...demon.”

Levi shot the woman a scowl at the correction, not sure if he was even upset that she was referring to Eren as a demon or a kid. The brat was both. A demon, a monster born in Hell. But he was also just a kid, lost and wandering and carrying too much baggage for any one creature.

“Whatever.” The raven conceded, wanting to avoid arguing.

Somewhere inside he knew that Hanji would not be cruel in whatever study she might perform on Eren. The woman was just curious. Crazy and curious. Besides, what was the worst that she could do? Eren was a fucking hellfiend for fuck's sake. He could take care of himself against Hanji's wacky ideas.

“I could do a strength test!” The brunette continued, chattering away in the background. Levi almost smiled at her eagerness. “Imagine how much stronger than us he could be! Have you ever seen him do anything amazing like lift a truck or something?”

Levi had no doubt that the brat could do some incredible things. He had half a mind to set him loose in a city, maybe watch him demolish a building with a snap of his fingers, level a bridge with one hand, set the sky ablaze with a glance from those burning eyes...

“No, no hulk-like behaviour yet.” The raven answered instead. He didn't want to make Hanji worry with his thoughts drifting towards destruction. The brunette was that crazy already and she didn't need any more encouragement. “He could lift me pretty easy.”

The bespectacled woman looked him up and down, giving a nod. “Hmm. I still want to see him lift a car.” She admitted, grinning when Levi shot her the bird. “What else can he do?”

Recalling the several unsettling occasions where Eren had quite literally rattled their apartment in his tantrums, Levi gave a dry scoff.

“He nearly made our flat implode.” The raven commented off-handedly.

Levi was expecting some sort of excitement from the crazed brunette. But after a moment of nothing but silence, the raven looked over. He instantly regretted it because Hanji was wearing that knowing, shit-eating grin of hers and he knew he was fucked somehow.

“Our flat?” The brunette commented in a cheeky tone. “Not _your_ flat?”

Grey eyes rolled. “Shut up.”

“Okay, okay, I'll save my teasing for another day. Back to testing, though. I'm talking blood samples, maybe a few tests of his freaky demon power-”

“I'm not promising anything.” Levi cut in with another sigh, running a hand over his face. Christ he needed sleep. “You can ask Eren when he comes back.”

Whenever the hell that would be.

“And he is coming back?” The brunette asked, anxious for experiments that hadn't even happened yet. “When?”

Levi exhaled in frustration. Trust Hanji to remind him of his fears and concerns. She didn't do it on purpose, they were just in sync in that way. It was both infuriating...and in some ways comforting.

“How the fuck should I know?” The raven-haired man uttered through a sound that was part sigh, part groan.

The brunette made a sound that Levi guessed was meant to be comforting. Or condoling, he never could tell.

“Right, right,” Hanji made a face, nodding absently, “...the whole husband issue-”

“Fiancee.” Levi cut in to correct, rolling his eyes at the quote, unquote sign that the brunette made in the air.

Hanji winced, but sent the raven a smile that was probably meant to comfort. “Sounds rough.”

He gave a chuckle, running a hand up through his hair. “Feels rough.”

For a moment the pair sat in relative quiet, until Hanji scooted closer to put a hand on the dark-haired male's knee.

“He'll be okay.” She assured. “And when he gets back, I'm sure he'll make things right between you guys.”

A sigh rustled free of the raven's lungs.

“I hope you're right.”

 

 

It was a sour-faced brunet who strode over to where the raven was seated on his throne of black rock. Those silver eyes never left the boy's face, although an increasingly pleased smile was curving his thin lips. Rivaille was pleased. Eren was behaving for him, and that in itself seemed almost like a miracle. Not that the raven would have had any qualms about putting the brat in his place should he throw some tantrum, but seeing the instant inkling of defeat in those teal orbs was shocking. The raven-haired demon had expected some sort of fight, if not an actual brawl then perhaps disobedience. But all the brunet did was stride towards him, exactly as commanded.

Although the feisty flare in Eren's eyes spoke more than enough of the younger demon's displeasure. Teal orbs glowed in a stark contrast to the boy's obedient actions, those burning orbs promising payment in kind for this form of betrayal.

Rivaille resisted an urge to sigh. He had destroyed the trust that had been building between himself and his young mate through this little 'surprise'. It had been a risky move and the raven knew that. He recognised that the brunet would see this as blatant disrespect. But Rivaille was tired of waiting, tired of his Eren returning with the scent of another creature in his skin. Enough was enough. He would leave his own mark upon the boy and show his human rival that there was, in fact, competition.

And Rivaille had no intention of making this a fair fight. He wondered what Eren would think of his little human _pet_ once the boy was mated properly? Once he could feel Rivaille in his blood, in his bones, all the way to his very soul. Would he still want his human? _Could_ he still want something like that after knowing true bliss?

Rivaille was eager to find out. He smiled, couldn't help it, flashing white teeth at the brunet who was getting closer to him. Had to run his dark tongue along his top row of teeth to keep from lunging forward and adding another set of teeth marks to Eren's honeyed skin. There would be time enough for that over the next few days. Every new mark would help to tie the unruly demon to him and by the end of the three days Eren's skin would be littered with Rivaille's bites, that cinnamon flesh slick with sweet blood that would be mixed with Rivaille's own. But Eren would need to mark him too. That would take a little more convincing or at least some sly plan. But one way or another Eren's teeth would need to pierce Rivaille's flesh at least once before the first step on the way to their bonding could be completed. The raven had started this process by laying his first claiming bite of the ritual on Eren's throat. Now it was the brunet's move, although the boy probably hadn't realised it yet. Rivaille hoped to be able to move along to the next phase quickly; marking Eren and exchanging blood should take a day or two depending on the brunet's temperament. Then and only then could the raven-haired demon attempt to bond the brunet with any hopes of success. Eren would fight back, but by that time his body would be sore and sluggish, barely any resistance left in him at all.

Once that first mating was complete, it would be all too easy to claim the brunet again and again until he couldn't remember what it was like to be unmated.

But first Rivaille needed to get Eren in his arms, needed to keep him in his arms, so that he could establish the initial phase of their bond. Looking up, that task might be easier said than done.

The raven had to bite back a laugh at the sight that met his gaze.

Eren looked _pissed_.

The boy's eyes were furious, slitted and watchful as he slinked closer. God he was a sin to watch, lithe and graceful even in his anger. With only his skin to wear, the younger demon made a show of swishing his tail as he approached the older male. Rivaille's eyes were hooded as he watched, the raven's gaze full of lazy lust.

It was driving the young hellfiend up the wall.

Eren wanted to punch the older demon and wipe that smug look right off of his face. He could probably do it too. One good blow would no doubt start a brawl and the brunet would have almost preferred one of Rivaille's games of chase over his current situation. But the chances of putting Rivaille in a bad mood were low when he was so clearly in control. The raven would see any ill-conceived ploys coming a mile away. So Eren would have to behave and be a good boy for his mate while their guests were over. Misbehaving was one thing, but misbehaving in front of so many guests gathered for the express reason of seeing Eren would buy the brunet a one way ticket to being locked in the dungeons for the rest of his miserable existence.

So the younger demon would place nice...but not that nice.

He scowled as he drew closer, slowing for those last few steps that brought him before the raven-haired wraith's throne. The raven's thin lips were curved into a lazy smile, languid and sly. It irritated the brunet to no end.

“Rivaille, you conniving bastard,” Eren's upper lip curled into the beginnings of a snarl before the brunet could properly control the expression, leaning in to speak in a low voice, “...I won't soon forgive you for this.”

The brunet's hands curled around the carved armrests of Rivaille's throne, his tail twitching irritably. Eren couldn't help the tell-tale mannerism, but he was able to stop himself from snarling before he could insult his mate.

A scoff sounded, amused, and it became clear that Rivaille was not the least bit phased by the brunet's threat. Snaking out a hand, the wraith pulled Eren down to his lap the moment the boy was within reach, ignoring the indignant sound it earned him.

Rivaille only smiled, his mouth curving up in amusement as the younger demon scrambled for purchase. The brunet leaned back to aim a glare at the raven, only to have Rivaille yank him forwards with a hand curled at his nape.

“Is that any way to speak to your beloved?” The raven crooned in the boy's ear, nipping at the shell enough to sting.

Eren bristled fiercely, teal eyes flashing bright for an instance as the demon boy bit back several sentences that would have surely earned him the raven's bite right then and there. There was a point to all of this, and the brunet knew that. He had to learn his place, here and now, in front of their gathered kin.

How irritating.

Eren curled himself against Rivaille as much as he could, even though he wanted to smack the raven for planning something like this without telling him.

“Nothing to say, dear? Usually you're so eager to voice your thoughts?”

Glowering off to one side, the brunet made it his goal to ignore Rivaille and his taunting. The raven chuckled in that low velvet tone of his and if Eren shuddered at the sound, nobody mentioned it.

The brunet knew that if he were to voice any of his current thoughts he would be disciplined. In front of so many eyes, Eren had no desire to face Rivaille's reprimand. As it was, his mate was in a fine mood. Rivaille purred, low and quiet, as he nipped and nuzzled the unruly brunet. Eren squirmed, unused to this treatment in any respect let alone in the middle of a celebratory gathering. Rivaille's hands wandered, rubbing little circles into Eren's back, teasing along his thighs, caressing the blushing skin there with delicate touches. The brunet was at least grateful for that, feeling anxious each time those claws brushed his skin.

“Nervous, pet?”

Eren wouldn't look at the older demon but he couldn't help but close his eyes whenever Rivaille nipped along the shell of his ear. The raven's words were quiet, meant to comfort, but the brunet was in no mood to be coddled. He wanted blood, a fight, a match to the death. Anything that would gain him a little distance from this creature lusting after him.

If he couldn't speak his mind, then he wouldn't speak at all. Eren sulked in silence, curled up in the older demon's lap to at least save some of his dignity for a while. The boy was still moody after having to leave the warmth of the raven's bed only to have to deal with company. And lots of it. He hadn't even been allowed to properly enjoy the afterglow of their activities.

How cruel, to think that Rivaille had planned the day to go exactly as it had. Eren could have cursed. Instead he settled for eyeing the room full of his brethren.

There were demons _everywhere_. They were crowded around the tables, crawling on the floor, climbing the walls, a few even fighting it out half-heartedly in the far corner. Eren took in the food laid out, stupid amounts of the stuff and all of it from the living world. Fiends gorged themselves on those delicacies.

Rivaille was keeping tabs on them all, of course, but even in this room alone there were so many pairs of eyes. Most of those gazes regarded the two mates, curiosity flickering in their stares with every glance. The celebration was still very much underway, with demons and wraiths moving about, passing through the hall from other rooms. Eren even watched a fucking serpent go slithering through, fixing its slitted eyes on him from the far end of the hall for a long moment almost as if it knew that the boy had eaten one of its kin. Eren met those yellow eyes without flinching, searching for a challenge, a threat, anything that would give him an excuse to get up and away from his mate.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a single creature in the entire castle foolish enough to come between Rivaille and the boy he had chosen to court. The brunet cursed his luck, glowering down the hall at the cocky snake that had yet to move.

Eren bared his teeth at the colossal snake, but it was Rivaille's glance that had the serpent moving on its way once more.

“There we go, little one,” the raven crooned, his voice low, “the big, mean snake won't bother you now.”

As much as he wanted to scoff, Eren was grateful. The brunet refused to acknowledge that he was grateful to have that stare gone at least.

“Although I can't blame anyone for wanting to stare.” Rivaille's tone sounded rich and dark in his amusement. “You are quite a delightful eyeful, my dear.”

Eren wanted to hide. He had one duty now, albeit a forced duty, and it was to follow Rivaille's every command and be the pretty little doll for the raven to put on display. Eren hated it. He hated being presented to these fuckers, waiting to be paraded around as a trophy, shown off to all of their friends. Well...maybe friends was overstating it. The brunet knew a lot of these...people. Most were only acquaintances, some he had had dealings with. And now they all got to see him prancing about, not only naked but also in a lesser form. Less of a worry, less of a threat. _Less_ than _them_. There was a message being sent here and it was clear that Rivaille wanted Eren seen as the lesser male in their relationship. After all, he was the one who was to be courted, he was the one who would be rutted and mated.

Suddenly Eren felt as though he had too much skin on display. He was too exposed and he hated it.

“Rivaille-” the brunet began in a small voice, intending to ask permission to shift forms but the raven's voice cut him off abruptly.

“No.” Rivaille said, swift and unwavering. The air shimmered for a moment as one of the raven's enchantments fell into place, sealing off their conversation from any curious ears. “There's nothing wrong with a little skin, Eren. You're perfectly safe. I'll protect you.”

The brunet wondered when exactly the raven had learned to read him so well.

“You wouldn't need to if I could just-”

“Enough.” The raven said, turning his head to eye the younger demon with slitted silver orbs.

Eren shrank back a little under that gaze, dropping his own eyes in submission with the hope that it would appease Rivaille. The authority that the smaller demon could emit was scorching, leaving the brunet's skin tingling. Even if he did not wish it himself, his body responded to that dominance, that control, as naturally as the need to survive. Those urges came hand in hand and finding a strong mate would make survival all the easier. Even Eren's instincts recognised that and responded in kind, eyes lowering, head tilted ever-so-slightly to the side to expose his throat.

An approving hum sounded and the raven rewarded the demon boy with a few tender strokes of his tongue against the brunet's neck.

Rivaille inhaled through his nose, getting a good lungful of Eren's scent. That sweetness had silver eyes closing for a moment and the raven didn't think he could wait any more. The wraith brought his free hand up to his face, leaving the other at the small of the brunet's back, and Eren watched as two of the raven's digits lost their wicked talons. Rivaille brought those fingers to his mouth, biting down just enough to break the skin slightly, and the brunet held his breath in a desperate attempt to avoid scenting the air.

Of all the advances that he could resist, Rivaille's blood was not one of them. Eren had never tasted that dark nectar before and he found himself wanting it so badly that he didn't even notice himself leaning forward until the older demon chuckled. It was a fond sound.

A hand crept around the back of Eren's shoulders, claws raking along the boy's nape, light and teasing. There was no intent to harm in that action, so the brunet thought nothing of it. Until of course that hand began to guide him forward and Rivaille brought his bleeding fingers from his own mouth to Eren's lips, pushing into the slick warmth behind them. Eren's first thought was to get away, but before he could jerk backwards he felt the gentle prod of the raven's fingers brushing against his tongue. The contact brought with it the long-awaited taste of _mate_ and Eren was gone, lost without a hope of returning.

Eren remembered every single time he had mocked the thought of Heaven, saying how it did not exist. But the brunet had found his Heaven in the taste of Rivaille's blood. There were no words to describe it, no words that were tangible at least. Rivaille tasted _right_ , of _home_ and _desire_ and everything that the brunet could ever think to want. The brunet latched onto the raven's hand with both of his own, holding it in place as he suckled greedily.

It was the most precious thing that Rivaille had ever witnessed. He had only made small punctures, using the very tip of his teeth to break the skin. Too much of his blood could send Eren into a frenzy and Rivaille didn't want that reaction just yet. Just a taste to begin with. A little more each day to keep the boy receptive to his advances. And then Rivaille would mate Eren, bond him, own him.

“That's it, precious lamb, drink up...” the raven crooned, his voice barely above a whisper.

Eren didn't hear the words as much as he heard the tone; he didn't even notice Rivaille moving him, guiding his head down to rest against his chest as he curled the boy into his lap. The younger demon gave a delirious mewl, practically purring in the raven's arms as his eyes slipped shut in woozy contentment. The wraith's blood was like a drug to the demon boy, a sedative that soothed through his veins and lifted the worries from his mind. Without ever having been exposed to it before, there was no way that Eren could have hoped to defend himself. Rivaille, on the other hand, had made a point to get to know the taste of his young mate's blood on several occasions. The effects were difficult to combat, often leaving the raven reeling and crazed which was a part of the reason why he got so out of hand in his punishing treatment of the brunet in their past sessions. Not that Eren could have known that then, but he would understand it now.

Or at least soon, once the dizzying high passed.

Now, though, Rivaille hoped to make it up to his young mate. Allowing him to know the same ecstasy that he himself had known time and time again in tasting Eren; now the brunet would know that same bliss. More than that, if Rivaille had his way. Losing his claws for now, the dark-haired demon pulled his fingers from the boy's mouth. Eren mewled in quiet complaint, the sound quietened by several kisses. The older demon ran his hands over Eren's skin, spoiling him with touch. Rivaille knew all the places to assault to cause the boy pain and discomfort, now he sought the places that would make Eren squirm and pant. The insides of the brunet's thighs were something to pay attention to, as was the area of skin just underneath the curve of his ass. The tender skin of the boy's neck was especially sensitive, receptive to Rivaille's bites after receiving the raven's first claiming mark. Every lick and nip had a new keen pitching from the brunet's throat.

Eren bucked his hips with a needy whimper, drawing Rivaille's attention to his arousal. Silver eyes flared possessively at the sight of the boy's cock standing to attention, throbbing in a clear display of desire.

“Good boy.” Rivaille purred, reaching down to curl a hand around the boy's length.

The brunet's head rocked back at the contact, a startled moan ripping free of his throat. With the high of bloodshare, every last bit of contact was like touching fire. Scorching, too much, and yet so very, very good.

Rivaille tugged almost lazily on the younger demon's cock, determined to make Eren work for his pleasure. The younger demon pouted, his brows drawing together as his bottom lip pushed out. He bucked his hips into the older demon's grip, trying to coax a better rhythm out of the raven to no avail. Rivaille was being stubborn and it was very frustrating. Somewhere in the back of his mind the brunet recalled that he had no desire to be treated this way in front of so many people, even if it was a part of their courting. Rivaille wanted everyone there to know that Eren was his and no one else had a right to touch him, and to show this he was touching the boy in the most intimate way like it was nothing. But it felt so, so good...and Eren could still taste the spicy sweetness of Rivaille's blood on his tongue, in his throat. He could feel it in his veins, stirring him into arousal against his will.

All Eren wanted now was for Rivaille to call off this whole engagement ordeal, take him up to the master chamber and pamper him. He wanted to be kissed, licked, groomed, spoiled, anything that his mate would be willing to give him. Eren wanted to be touched, but in private where there were no so many eyes on them. The watchful gazes unnerved the brunet to a degree and he strongly desired to protest. A few sounds of complaint did slip free of the boy's throat but Rivaille pointedly ignored them. Instead he got Eren all worked up, thumbing the underside of the boy's cockhead until the length was weeping beads of precum. The scent of arousal shot up thick and sweet in the air, affecting more than just the dark-haired wraith. But he would sooner carve out the eyes of every creature present before he would allow them to touch his Eren.

Because that was his right as Eren's mate. The brunet was for Rivaille and Rivaille alone. And as much as the younger demon might have wanted to protest, he could not. It was more than clear that Rivaille had brought this gathering together in order to initiate their bond. There was no running from this now, not unless the brunet wanted to get skinned alive as a consequence. No...he would have to endure it. The raven's courting had already begun and Eren could only end it if he had another suitor that he deemed fit to mate him. As it was, Rivaille was number one; there was no other demon present that could even pose a challenge to the raven-haired hell-fiend.

So the brunet set his jaw stubbornly, looking away and keeping his eyes trained on the floor. He knew that his little bout of moodiness stemmed from the fact that Rivaille was ignoring his neediness rather than any actual reluctance to be touched. That should have worried the brunet. But all Eren could think of was the tingling thrum in his blood, the delightful warmth in his gut that had sparks shooting through him. The boy didn't start when pale fingers crept along his jaw, a grip that was equal parts gentle and firm guiding his head around to face the raven. Rivaille smiled up at him, but there was a little too much victory written on his face and in his eyes for the brunet's liking. It only served to sour his mood further. Eren lurched forward for a sloppy kiss, any sense of finesse beyond the brunet in his current state. Rivaille indulged the boy but only for so long before he leaned away, denying the pink lips that chased after him, whimpering. Long fingers stroked the younger demon's cheek, tracing his lips before seeking entrance into the boy's mouth. Eren frowned but parted his lips to accept the digits, making soft sounds as they played with his tongue. The wounds from before had healed by now and Eren mourned the loss, but the attention was nice all the same. The brunet basked in it, shifting to straddle the raven's lap properly as he made himself comfortable.

Rivaille was purring again, the low vibrations soothing in a way that the brunet had never expected. He found himself drawn to the sound, the desire to be closer intensifying with the soft little noises coming from Rivaille's throat.

The fingers in the brunet's mouth slipped away, leaving Eren mewling at their absence. The pathetic sounds were soon swallowed by a kiss, this one deep and slow, hungry as Rivaille slotted his mouth over the younger demon's. The older demon shifted, distracting his young mate by sucking on his tongue as he brought a hand down.

Eren jerked when the raven's wet fingers found his entrance, swirling the digits lazily. The boy pulled back with an uneasy keen, fear written in his eyes. Mouth opening to protest, Eren only just managed to bite back a yelp when Rivaille pushed the two slick digits past the puckered mouth of the boy's ass. No warning, no preparation. Rivaille buried his fingers as far as he could into that blushing mouth, feeling the muscles there clamp down instinctively. The brunet flinched and buried his head against the crook of his mate's shoulder to hide his shocked expression, eyes wide open and jaw clenched to keep in a cry of discomfort. It burned, stinging when Rivaille started to pump his fingers in a steady motion, in and out. But the brunet's body rocked back against those digits regardless, the pain ignored in favour of the bone deep instinct that was sated through being filled even in this simple way.

Wincing, the boy grit his teeth and wrenched his eyes shut. If Rivaille wanted the boy to cry or call out in pain, then he would find himself disappointed. In a moment of panic-driven desperation, Eren opened his mouth wide and bit down, sinking his teeth into the milky skin of Rivaille's shoulder. The sudden rush of blood on his tongue helped to soothe the pain below, causing the sting to melt away into something more bearable. Something desirable even; an ache rather than relentless burning.

Rivaille hissed at the sudden assault but there was no pain in him. The wraith's eyes slitted, feral and hungry, and a wolfish grin curved the raven's lips. Eren had bitten him. His young mate had unwittingly made that first step. Perfect.

The older demon surprised Eren then, seeking out his bite mark with his mouth and licking the tender skin. The brunet jerked, releasing his teeth with a choked whine. There was blood smeared over his mouth, dripping down his chin, painting his neck, and Eren couldn't bring himself to care. He _liked_ it. Wanted more, wanted to bathe in this crimson ecstasy. Wanted to drown in it. A shuddering wave of bliss rolled through the brunet and all pain dissolved as though it had never been. Eren wondered yet again if this is what Heaven would feel like if it were real. The fingers inside him felt amazing even despite the lack of preparation or proper lube. It felt so good that the boy forgot why he was trying to hide himself from prying eyes, allowing himself to become the equivalent of a rag-doll in the raven's arms. One hand clutched weakly at Rivaille's shoulder, the other limp by the brunet's side as he tried to distinguish whether he was moaning or sobbing. The hand curled about his cock felt nothing short of divine and Eren bucked his hips into the older demon's grip. Rocking back to seek the raven's fingers again, the brunet felt overwhelmed. He wanted to thrust up and forward, but that would deny him the teasing digits that searched inside of him. His head lolled against Rivaille's shoulder, mouth hanging open as he gasped, clutching at the raven's throne with useless hands. Panting hotly, Eren could feel himself whimper on every breath. His tongue licked at his own lips, searching for the traces of Rivaille's blood left there. Next Eren went for the source itself, giving a soft, cracking whine in protest when he was coaxed back and curled into the raven's lap.

“Shh, you've had too much of that already, little one.” Rivaille crooned to him, his elated smile seeming out of place with his gentle tone.

Coaxing Eren's head to one side, a low growl stirred in the raven's throat, the sound possessive and dark and hungry. Rivaille lunged forward, burying his sharp teeth into the honeyed skin of the brunet's throat, marking him up on both sides of that gorgeous neck.

Eren cried out, a choked moan stuttering free of his lungs, and he tensed as he tingled with so much pleasure that his whole body seized up as he came into Rivaille's cupped palm.

It took several long moments for the boy to calm, his body limp and pliant, trembling in the afterglow.

“There, precious,” Rivaille cooed in his ear, his voice quiet, soothing, and yet mocking somehow as it crooned to him, “...now every last piece of scum here knows that you are mine.”

_Rivaille's. His. His own._

“Yours...” Eren echoed in a breathless huff.

It was criminal how very right that sounded.

The boy lay panting and helpless, blinking in a daze at the shapes of their audience. Most of the demons looked away now, knowing better than to intrude while Rivaille was bonding with his mate. Forming a connection between mates was very important and Rivaille wouldn't let anything get in the way of that. Not even if he had to tear apart every other being in this godforsaken place. Eyes flitted away, all scents in the air smelling of curiosity and anxiety. No doubt the brunet's scent, with its mix of arousal and rebellion, had the guests intrigued. They all knew that Eren was a stubborn one, not the type to give in or roll over like a good bitch and take it lying down. The teal-eyed demon wondered what they were thinking. He wondered what they would think if it was known that he was courting a human.

Mostly he wondered why Rivaille wouldn't take him to a room somewhere and coddle him, draw him into those strong arms and rest a while.

Rivaille wiped away the beaded tears of ecstasy from the corners of the brunet's eyes, smiling when the boy only slumped against him further. Eren had been through quite the day. He hadn't been expecting Rivaille's advances, but the raven had been especially persistent. The brunet wanted to sigh, but all he could manage was a tired sob.

He should have known that Rivaille would try to court him properly. All the pampering, the attention and now this celebration. It was a clever trap. Eren couldn't escape from his own engagement party. The brunet had no doubt that the next time he left this castle, he would be mated. Rivaille wouldn't let him leave otherwise, not after initiating a courtship like this.

A soft hiccup sounded from the younger demon as he curled up in the raven-haired wraith's lap. The younger demon hid his face against his mate's stomach, wanting nothing more than to hide away. He didn't want to have to face company, especially not after being introduced as a damned whore to everyone.

Welcome to the party. And now: Eren cumming.

Rivaille sure knew how to humiliate him, but the brunet couldn't even be indignant. Public claim was just another part of their courting. The more people that saw them bonding, the better. The raven-haired wraith didn't want anyone else to try to court his Eren, so he laid a claim for everyone to see. As embarrassing as it had been, the brunet couldn't help but feel a curl of satisfaction licking away in his gut. It was pointless to resist his body's responses to the raven and Eren had all but given up trying. Probably the worst part of it all was that he wanted more. Just sated as he was; the brunet's body was already craving more of Rivaille's touch. It would continue to do so until they had mated more times than they could remember.

Christ, Eren wanted it. He wanted that oneness so badly that if he weren't currently so spent, he might have tried to mount the wraith right then and there.

The thought made the brunet ache all over in the nicest way possible.

“...Levi.” The boy mumbled in a miserable tone.

Above him, Rivaille smiled, giving a mildly disapproving tut. Eren should not have been thinking about anything other than his mate after his treatment but the raven-haired demon couldn't find it in himself to feel surprised. Eren had done well, had taken in far more of Rivaille's blood than the raven had intended to give him in one go. That was a promising sign. However the raven would need to be cautious; this process was not something that could be rushed. Eren would have to wait all three days to be mated, whether his instincts were happy with that fact or not.

A content hum sounded in the older demon's throat and he brought down a hand to stroke Eren's russet hair. The locks were soft to the touch, weaving effortlessly through the raven's fingers.

The wraith leaned down to speak in Eren's ear, his voice soft like a rustle of autumn leaves.

“Levi's not here, pet.” Rivaille whispered, his soothing tone a stark contrast to the fiend's usual behaviour when his rival was mentioned. “But I am.” The raven-haired demon murmured the words like a promise, pressing his lips to the boy's hair once. “Don't you worry, Eren. I'll take care of you...and make sure you get back to that mortal of yours safely.”

For some reason that the brunet could not fathom, he believed his mate's promise.

Even though the words chilled him to the bone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to get back into the swing of things now, but the next few chapters need to be accurate so please forgive me if it takes a day or two. I'll do my best! ^_^ It's good to be back, I love you all and I am so SO sorry for taking so long D:  
> UNI's done for the year for me now, so I should be able to write more regularly! Thanks to everyone who continued to give their support and feedback, you're all gems and darlings! Kudos to everyone!


	47. Celebrations - Courting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Porn with feels. Porn with feels that contributes to plot. I think I’ve got this thing down. Key to success = porn + feelings + plot.

“We're face to face and we can touch if we want to.” – The Relay Company, Animals.

***

  
  


Eren woke just before dawn with a distinct question in his mind. When had he fallen asleep? It was still dark; the brunet couldn't spot a single torch still lit. In fact he couldn't see much of anything because he was facing a wall. The boy stretched, his mind and limbs still sluggish, still tingling ever so pleasantly. He still wasn't used to the feeling of having Rivaille in him, his lifeblood coursing through the brunet's veins. It shouldn't have been comforting. Because of this connection, Rivaille would know countless things that might have slipped under his attention before; when the brunet was awake or asleep, whether he was hungry, thirsty, horny, tired...the list went on and on. For now these weren't permanent symptoms. If Eren were to leave Hell now, Rivaille would lose most of his connection. But after they were mated, bonded, tied together, then the raven-haired demon would have VIP access to every last little mood, craving, feeling and sensation that Eren experienced. Short of actually being able to read his mind, Rivaille would know every little change in emotion. He would know if Eren was happy, sad, angry...being kissed...being made love to...

The brunet screwed his eyes shut for a moment, shaking his head a few times to clear it. This was not the time to be thinking about such things. His connection to Rivaille was weak at the moment, but the raven might still be able to pick up on his apprehension. A few deep breaths helped to calm the boy down, the old routine a habit that he had carried through into demonhood.

Teal eyes blinked, lifting up to glance around and learn his bearings. Eren's sleepy gaze drifted around the darkened hall, searching for other demons, wondering if they had all fallen asleep together. It wasn't uncommon.

Only...they weren't in a hall. Eren could identify none of the main hall's features, not a single table lying about, or even Rivaille's throne. Speaking of which, what the heck was he laying on? The softness beneath the brunet told him that he was most definitely not curled up in either his mate's throne or his lap. There was warmth and give to whatever cushioned him. Blinking down, Eren identified blankets and throw pillows, recognising that this was a nest. A simple nest of blankets and cushions, but it would serve its purpose as good as any cave would. The sight caused Eren to swallow thickly and if he had a working heart it would no doubt start beating heavily in his chest. Yet another little tradition that the brunet had expected Rivaille to overlook – building a nest. Typically it was something that only lower level demons would do, seeing as they were still mostly controlled by urges like fight, kill, eat, fuck, etc... But Rivaille had still gotten all this together, had arranged a healthy mound of blankets and soft comfort for the two of them. Eren could tell that the raven had been the one to make this, he could smell the raven everywhere, scent wafting up with every little shift. It was such a simple thing, building a nest. And yet it spoke volumes. There was security here, safety in the arms of  _mate_ . The warmth against Eren's back was Rivaille; the raven-haired demon nestled snugly against his young mate to protect him throughout the night.

Silver eyes blinked open, gazing up at Eren when the boy moved. Rivaille looked sleepy, tired in a way that the brunet had not seen him before. There was a weariness to the older demon's face that spoke of thousands of years of waiting. But all of that old loneliness disappeared the moment those silver orbs met Eren's eyes, the raven's features smoothing out into something relieved and relaxed.

And when Rivaille smiled it broke Eren's heart, left a crack right down the middle.

Here was this creature, this old, wounded soul who Eren was only just beginning to understand. Their relationship had been rocky at best and nightmarish at worst. But through whatever horrid, soul crushing experiences that this ancient demon had lived through to make it this far...he was still able to hold tenderly, to kiss and caress when he had received no such softness in return. Rivaille had lived through fire and titan reign and the endless war that was survival. The fact that he had any sanity to hold onto at all made Eren feel so, so...proud. He was proud of this creature. Proud to call him mate, proud to even be alive next to this being when their first encounter could have easily meant his death. And if this pained, aching creature wanted to bond with him then who was Eren to say no? If he could give any happiness to this demon, he would surrender himself completely to do so.

If it meant that Rivaille would not have to be alone anymore...then Eren could set aside his own fears, could allow his mate to have him, to have that claim over him.

Silvery orbs were thoughtful as they regarded the brunet, probably able to sense the surging emotions that filled Eren's head and his heart. Rivaille shifted, stretching with a whisper of a sigh before he nestled closer.

And Eren let him. He let the raven get close, let him hold him, let him nuzzle and purr and groom. It was nothing at all to allow this weary creature to nuzzle closer, identifying a patch of skin on Eren's upper arm that he liked. A few soft laps of Rivaille's dark tongue prepared the spot before the older demon bit down, eyes closing at the rush of euphoria that followed. He was not sure what had his little mate in such a flurried state of emotion, but perhaps he could settle the boy with something simple? Something that any demon could understand on an instinctual level? Claim.

Eren shuddered when he felt the soft lapping of Rivaille's tongue soothing over the newest of his marks, wondering if it was pleasure that he was feeling, or agony? The sharp teeth that pierced his flesh stung but it was followed seconds later by...not pleasure, exactly. More like satisfaction so overwhelming that it could almost be mistaken for pleasure. When Rivaille switched sites, nudging Eren's arm out of the way to get to a spot on the boy's side just below his ribs, the brunet decided that it was definitely both. There was ecstasy in his body and agony in his heart, but neither stopped him from curling his freshly marked arm around Rivaille's head to cradle the raven where he lay. The wraith purred, releasing his teeth from Eren's flesh to place another mark right below his last one. With two bleeding symbols of his claim left there on the brunet's tender skin, the raven shifted to trail bloodstained kisses up the boy's chest. His dark tail coiled around one of the brunet's legs, the end flicking in lazy movements when Eren's own tail swished up to tease him.

This play was unfamiliar, but it felt so wholly and completely right. The wraith felt like snarling, but at himself. What had he been doing these past years? Torturing his little mate when they could have been like this? Curled up in one another, writhing, languid but desperate with need. This was how it should be, how it  _should have been_ for a long time now.

Only now was that rightness beginning to settle.

Rivaille tugged the boy closer with a hungry kiss, a soft snarl catching in his throat as the two mates rearranged themselves to lie closer, the brunet's back flush against the older demon's front. Like two pieces of an old and twisted puzzle, they moulded against one another with an ancient familiarity. The younger demon craned his head around to hold onto the kiss, twisting in his mate's arms for better access. He let out what soft sounds that stirred in his throat, sucking and licking at Rivaille's mouth. Soft, warm, inviting as the raven had never been, as he could afford to be now in this quiet haven. Away from the prying eyes of their company, Rivaille could be tender and gentle, could hold his young mate close with only his own interests in mind. There was nothing to prove here in this dark little room, no need to hide soft smiles or quiet whines and whimpers. Eren's wounds bled lazily, the scarlet nectar smearing on the raven's pale skin with every brush of their heated flesh. It marred bronze skin with crimson smudges, slipping between them. Rivaille shuddered when that dark blood painted his own body in places, glittering against his dark scales. The brunet's scent flooded the air between the two males, sweet and tempting and for Rivaille alone, and when Eren managed to look at the raven, he found him lost. Rivaille's eyes were black and unseeing, his mouth seeking contact with whatever it could reach...not biting, just sucking at the cinnamon skin, mouthing. Eren heard the raven mewl, a soft and needy sound, and the brunet felt himself begin to purr in response. Well...not quite a purr, a mixture of that and a growl, low in his throat, in his chest. The soft vibrations were meant to soothe, to reassure, and somewhere in the haze of it all Eren wondered when he had ever started thinking that Rivaille needed reassurance?

Apparently he needed it now. Once again the younger demon could feel his heart cracking, shattering apart only to reform in a different way, old pieces fitting into new places. Fresh and new...as this, what they were building between them, was new.

They writhed together for several long moments, happy enough to be close. Happy to be alone with each other. Alone but together, as it should be. Amidst the blood and the scent of mate so close, Eren felt oddly at peace. His eyes closed on a peaceful sigh, the only noise in the room being the hushed purring from both mates. It took a while but eventually the fretting pair stilled as sleep overcame them again.

 

“Wake up, precious...”

Rivaille's voice stirred the brunet from his slumber an unknown number of hours later. Eren whimpered, clutching closer to the inviting warmth that held him. He didn't want to leave and have to face any company today.

A fond chuckle sounded somewhere close by, followed by a few licks to the boy's nape a moment later.

“Come on, lamb.” The raven's voice encouraged, a clawless hand running through the younger demon's hair, scratching lightly at his scalp. “You don't want to miss breakfast, do you?”

Blinking awake, the brunet aimed a confused little frown up at Rivaille. The raven smiled down at him, already moving to...to crawl over him? A questioning sound left the boy's mouth but he waited, watching as the older demon came to straddle his chest, a hand placed either side of the brunet's head. Eren's head now lay between the raven's parted thighs, Rivaille's arousal bobbing between his legs at half mast already.

The raven sent the boy a wicked grin, reaching down to run the pad of his thumb over Eren's bottom lip, toying with the plump flesh.

Ah...so that was what he meant by 'breakfast'. The brunet's eyes widened as he realised what was happening and he surprised himself by leaning forward to lock his lips around the head of Rivaille's cock. Apparently Eren was not the only one who was surprised. Rivaille gasped, his body jolting forward and landing the raven on his hands and knees.

He was still recovering from the shock of Eren's response when the boy started to lean forward, taking more of him in, and Rivaille's hips stuttered forward without his consent. There had been more than a little apprehension in the raven's mind about whether or not his little mate would even want to pleasure him, whether Eren would be ready for that yet. At this point Rivaille would have been overjoyed just to be allowed to mate the brunet, let alone ask for more. But he had taken the risk...and the reward was astonishing.

Eren swallowed him up without so much as blinking, tonguing the length in his mouth with a clear goal in mind. Rivaille was hard in an instant, throbbing and pulsing against the boy's tongue.

The wraith was almost twisted enough to ask Eren to bite him there, to leave that unmistakable scar in such a vulnerable place. For the moment, though, he merely chased his pleasure. It wasn't going to take him long either, not with that attentive tongue working him like this was nothing new, some practised routine. Rivaille couldn't even find it in himself to be upset. Anything that could make him feel so good was worth only praise. Climax rushed up with barely any warning, swooping in and leaving the raven breathless as he let out a high moan.

Oh fuck, fuck,  _fuck_ ...

Rivaille panted, his gut clenching with every spasm of his release, Eren's sweet little mewls like music to the raven's ears. His mouth was so soft, an inviting, welcoming heat around the raven's length, coaxing out every last drop of his seed which Eren drank like warm milk. There was no disgust, not even a hint of shame in the boy. It left Rivaille reeling, overjoyed. There could be no doubt that Eren lusted after him now, even while the raven had doubted through anything that could have been proof. Eren was nothing if not a splendid little actor but this? This couldn't be a performance. Hyped up on his mate's blood, this was all Eren. It was so damned satisfying to feel the brunet suckling like that, so eager, so free of any shame or restraint, that Rivaille didn't even care when he became too sensitive. His hips jerked unevenly at the tingling overstimulation. The older demon relished that too-good shock, the jolting zap of what could have been pleasure or pain. It didn't matter; Rivaille would take anything, either,  _both_ . He bucked his hips at a particularly vigorous suck, hissing when Eren only craned his neck up to take him in further.

“Greedy little thing...” the raven's words finished on a quiet snarl, punctuated by another harsh jerk of his hips.

Eren barely choked, his tongue circling the over-sensitive flesh in his mouth, trying to coax a second orgasm out of the raven. He had been presented with such a rare chance. The brunet had never been allowed to touch his mate in such a way before, and now that he had the chance to put his hands on him, his mouth, his tongue...he would make the most out of the opportunity.

“Look at you... _hah_...going for seconds without asking,” Rivaille broke off, panting in quick succession as his eyes squeezed shut, “... _ngh-hgnn_...”

Eren must have known that he was getting close because the little shit went for it twice as fervently, sucking like he could pull the cum right out of the older demon. Rivaille had no doubt that the boy could do it, could feel his impending orgasm brewing, heat and aching want climbing up his shaft. With a final push, Rivaille eased his throbbing cock down the brunet's throat just in time to send his second load cascading down into that devastatingly hot pipe for Eren to swallow. The gasp that Rivaille let go of was pitching and cracked, an utterly ruined sound. Tremors wracked his lithe frame, rolling through from head to toe and out to the tip of the raven's tail as his tired cock gave a few weak spasms.

It was a trembling Rivaille who pulled back, easing his tender length from the boy's mouth with a hiss. He winced at a few parting kisses that the brunet awarded to the tip of his spent length, a crooked smile quirking the older demon's mouth up to one side. Rivaille eased back, crawling until he could hover over the brunet's body, knees by the boy's hips and hands either side of his face.

Eren gazed up at him with wide, starlit orbs, mouth just barely open as he panted quietly. Beautiful. Breathtaking. Rivaille's mate was a treasure.

“And here I thought you'd be shy about morning meals.” The raven said through a breathless chuckle, ducking to lick the brunet's parted lips.

Soft, pliant; Rivaille felt as though he could melt right into this boy, climb inside and take shelter there forever. He could still taste himself there on the younger demon's lips, a faint flavour alongside the taste of Eren. The boy had done a good job, swallowing down every last drop without batting an eyelash.

Eren made a sleepy sound, stretching out contentedly. He rolled onto his side, feeling warm and safe, wanting nothing more than to lie amongst the blankets there for hours. Now that the action and excitement was over, Eren found himself feeling sleepy once again. Rivaille hummed down at him, stroking at honeyed skin with hands that were, for the moment, clawless. It was a rare thing for the raven to be gentle and Eren basked in the tender affection, relished it, nuzzled the hands that brushed against him.

Eren closed his eyes.

“No, don't go back to sleep just yet, sweetheart.” Rivaille's hands disappeared along with the soothing caresses. The boy gave a whimper, earning himself a protective nuzzle from the raven. But Rivaille still sounded amused when he spoke up again. “You'll miss the games.”

That had the brunet paying attention. He could feel the day coming on, a time when Rivaille would usually prefer habits like remaining indoors. Eren had often teased the raven of hibernating or being nocturnal, although he knew the real reason. For Rivaille to be willing to set aside his hyperactive senses to head out of the castle...it had to be worth it.

“Games?” Eren sat up, sending the raven a dubious look. “We're going outside? _You're_ going outside? During the day?”

It had to be one of the celebratory details, entertainment for the guests whilst simultaneously spilling blood to bless the union of the two demons who would become bonded. This part was not crucial and had no specific effect in the end result. But Rivaille had never been one to turn down the opportunity to liven up the place with a little colour, a little screaming.

The raven-haired demon smiled, a few of his pointed teeth showing as his lips curved up. He reached forward to brush a few locks of hair out of Eren's face, curling his fingers so that his knuckles trailed along the younger demon's temple.

“Well I might,” Rivaille said in answer to Eren's question, his smile turning almost sheepish, “if my little fox doesn't mind some rather drastic enchantments?”

The brunet frowned a little, his tail swishing closer to his body in concern.

“What kind of enchantments?”

 

The games...Rivaille's games...began just after the great red sun reared its head over the charred horizon. Scarlet and saffron bathed the barren soil, glinting off of rocks and painting the surrounds in warm hues. Any stranger might have called the sight magnificent, beautiful even. The scorching heat would not be the first thing to cross someone's mind after seeing rocks glow golden in the sun's dawn rays, the rest of the earth seeming orange and red. The light didn't last long, not once Rivaille's magic took hold and summoned thick purple and black clouds to block out the sun's beams. Torches were lit, although the fiery mountains provided light enough for the gathered demons to see easily enough. The volcanoes provided light and warmth that was thankfully not too troubling for the moody wraith. He could bear with it.

And so the games could progress.

The first thing Eren registered was the  _noise_ . The screeching cheers and howls of encouragement of his brethren could be heard from within the castle. Eren was carried from the room high in one of the castle towers to a lower balcony. From here Rivaille planned to watch the various matches that would take place throughout the day. The feasting part of their celebration was complete. Now came the darker side.

Arguably the more fun side.

And there it was...nestled into the rugged mountains below stood an arena. A simple crater carved into the peaks themselves, filled with soft, ashen soil and surrounded on all sides by gurgling lava. Eren's eyes glowed, catching the glittering golden light that reflected off of the molten rock below. The brunet had never seen the place look so lively, company or no company. The cheering of the demons below rose and fell, swelling with every charge and hushing to an excited murmur as the pairs of fighters circled. Teal orbs flicked up to sneak a glance at the older demon's face. He didn't look...angry. Maybe put out, like a baby-sitter dealing with a bunch of bothersome children. The heat and the number of other demons around had the raven on edge. Eren could only tell through the way those silver eyes kept darting about, keeping a constant watch on every last movement, the grip he had on the brunet growing tense. Rivaille had let the boiling rock flow for once, preferring its barrier over his usual chilly ice wall. The moat around his castle ran, hot and lively where it was usually ice and black, frozen rock. This was a celebration after all and with a party there had to be a certain standard set. Aesthetic and entertainment, that was the current task. And Rivaille never passed up an opportunity to allow his kin to entertain him and his company.

For this, fighting was perfect.

The brawl had already started by the time the raven carried out his young mate, wrapped partially in one of the blankets from their nest to shield him from the temperature in the air – icy cold despite the lava below. The scents locked into the blanket, the smell of Eren and Rivaille mixed together, would bring comfort to the boy after being taken away from their nest. The raven would take him back there several times, would get him used to bedding there before their mating. Their nest was a place of comfort and safety, somewhere where the brunet had nothing to fear.

But for now, Eren would have to readjust to the more hostile environment outside of their nest. He would remain close by his mate throughout the day until they finally retired for the night again. It was a conditioning ritual if nothing else; a way for the brunet to recognise Rivaille as a safe place so that he would be less likely to resist his advances in a day's time. From the way Eren was clinging to him now, arms looped tightly around strong shoulders, the raven had high hopes.

Rivaille set the brunet down next to the lump of rock that would act as his seat by the edge of the balcony, purring when the boy started fussing. He pried the tanned limbs from around his neck, coaxing his young mate down to the ground and taking said seat after making sure that Eren had settled. The brunet squirmed for a moment, yawning in a sleepy fashion before he blinked down at the arena.

He had trouble picking which pair of fighters to focus on.

There were several matches going on, demons of various attributes battling it out in the dirt and ash below. The rules: defeat your opponent. Rivaille's favourite style...fight to the death. And Eren had to admit...it was much more entertaining when he wasn't the one in the ring. The brunet had been made to fight in similar matches before, back in the days where Rivaille hadn't decided whether or not he wanted to keep him. Back then Eren had had to prove that he was worth being kept alive, let alone kept as anything more than that.

Thankfully the brunet had always been good at surviving.

“Better get those eyes awake, pet,” Rivaille cooed down at the brunet, reaching across to play with the boy's hair, “whoever wins these matches...is your engagement present.”

Eren blinked his eyes over at the raven, staring up with surprise. He hadn't considered that Rivaille would bother to get him anything, he certainly had nothing to give the raven in return. It wasn't something that he needed to do. Presenting gifts was not a part of their mating ritual. But this was a nice touch. Crawling part way free from his blanket, Eren moved over to the balcony. He sought a better vantage point, wanting more than just the glimpses he caught through the hollowed parts of the balcony's edge. Pushing up onto his knees, the brunet clutched the ledge as he looked down to get a better view of the demons below. His eyes flared.

“For me?” Eren asked, running his tongue over his bottom lip.

Silver orbs slitted in approval at the subtle shift in Eren's posture, the way he started to analyse the demons in the arena. The brunet's features grew stern, his hands tightening on the ledge.

“Ooh? What's this?” Rivaille grinned, recognising the posture already. “Little fox has already chosen his opponent?”

The brunet gave a single nod. White teeth gleamed as they were bared and Eren ran his tongue over sharpened enamel.

“I hope the snake wins.” He sneered, teal orbs lighting up for a moment.

Rivaille only hummed his amusement, his tail slithering out to wrap around the boy's middle and draw him back, away from the ledge.

“Now, Eren...” the raven chided, smiling all the while as he coaxed the brunet back from the edge, “when were you ever the type to hold grudges?”

Eren's nose wrinkled in distaste and he frowned. “He looked at me funny.”

The wraith nodded, his smile turning languid as he leaned forward.

“Then turn him inside out for me, precious.”

Eren flashed his mate a feral smile, pushing away from the cold ground to slink over to where the raven was perched on his rocky seat. He would do his mate proud. He would defeat that wretched serpent, would tear into its flesh with his teeth and devour it whole if he had to.

But first the serpent had to win.

Crawling closer, the younger demon reached up to climb atop the raven. Rivaille welcomed the brunet into his lap, smirking into the wet kiss he received.

Eren pulled back with a needy pant, licking his lips once before seeking the raven's gaze.

“Bite me.”

Rivaille watched the boy's plump lips move as he spoke, his ears shocked to hear the words leave Eren's mouth so freely. But the raven wrapped his arms around the brunet, looping them around the small of his back.

“Someone's feeling welcoming today.” Rivaille commented.

The brunet tossed his head, apparently in no mood for small talk.

“I said _bite_ _me_.”

Rivaille rasped out a snarl as he obliged the brunet's request, wrenching Eren against him so that he could reach around to the boy's nape with his mouth. Eyes closing at the wet crunch of flesh, the raven hummed out a quiet moan. That well-known sweetness bathed his tongue, something ancient tugging at the raven's gut. He wanted this boy fiercely, viciously. There was no express desire in him today to share the sight of his and Eren's intimacy with their company and Rivaille was thankful that the rest of the demons were gathered around the borders of the arena to watch the match. The height at which he and Eren were at afforded them a little privacy at least. While they were squabbling and cheering boisterously below, the raven could tend to his mate. And that was what was important. Eren had to be ready by tomorrow, had to be ready and receptive to him, or all of this effort would have been for naught. Rivaille pushed the brunet back suddenly, catching hold of the boy's waist to stop him from falling. Eren flailed with a panicked keen, his back rigid to keep him from falling to the ground. Wide teal eyes held darkening silver as the wraith tipped Eren back inch by inch, the top of his head just barely touching the stone floor, body on glorious display. Hooking an arm around the boy's lower back to hold him up, Rivaille eased his free hand over the tender flesh of the brunet's inner thigh.

Upside down, Eren raised his head. His surprise was wearing off, morphing into a new sort of shock as he realised that Rivaille was going to mark him again. And in such a tender area. The thought alone caused him to tremble. The boy was starting to pant already, shivering a little with anticipation as he watched Rivaille lower his head to run his lips along his thigh. The raven's eyes had a hint of red in them, the pupils glowing, lit up from the inside. Those hellish orbs held Eren's gaze as he prepared the skin, lapping with a lazy, dark tongue. A delightful mix of pleasure and pain bloomed under Rivaille lips, once, twice, thrice as the raven left an etching of his teeth in the boy's leg. Three red ovals of claim on Eren's right thigh, and then Rivaille moved to the other. Three more marks were left there and Eren could feel an almost tangible pull tugging him towards the raven even though neither of them were moving. Like hooks had attached themselves in his belly, pulling, a wrenching need. He gasped, the sound muffled by a pale wrist being pushed against his lips in silent invitation.

Invitation to mark, to claim in return.

Rivaille's encouraging groan coaxed the brunet to leave a trail of his own bites from wrist to elbow where he promptly lost any sort of control and somehow ended up leaving the imprint of his teeth all the way up the raven's arm and along his shoulder. Lost. Eren felt lost...and yet safe. He didn't know where he was...didn't need to know. Mate was there, his scent heavy, thick in the air, the taste of him on Eren's tongue. When the boy's eyes opened he had his teeth buried in Rivaille's neck.

A lost whimper escaped Eren's throat, the sound half-choked on the blood in his mouth.

He was upright again, somehow. Rivaille's arms held him close, the grip tight and possessive. It took a moment for the boy to register that they were both growling.

Eren swallowed, feeling his insides light up, shuddering at the rush of what could only be described as elation. The boy couldn't have stopped himself from seeking more of Rivaille's dark nectar if he had wanted to.

“That's it...” the wraith rasped, growling low in his throat as he clutched the brunet closer, “that's it, sweetheart...”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup.


	48. Interruptions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-beta'd and late. I'm sorry.

“I'd fight for you. I'd lie, it's true. Give my life for you. You know I'd always come for you.” – Nickelback, I'd Come For You.

***

 

The fights went on for the entire day. New challengers would appear just as an opponent would be defeated and thus a whole new battle was born. Rivaille watched on in unconcealed glee, gnashing his teeth every time there was a close call and a demon just barely escaped death. Occasionally the raven would turn to Eren, would play with the boy for a little while before turning his gaze back to the brawl.

Eren, on the other hand, was happy to ride out the high of having Rivaille’s blood in his system. It laced his own blood, thick and heavy, making the brunet’s eyelids droop. He felt drunk, warm in his mate’s embrace, his skin tingling pleasantly. Even the raucous shouting and bellowing below could not upset the boy. As the day wore on he started dozing off, waking whenever the gathered crowd got particularly rowdy. The afternoon and most of the night passed this way, with Eren curled up in Rivaille’s lap and covered with the blanket they had brought. Dreams teased at the edge of his mind, difficult to latch onto and evaporating like flimsy smoke the moment Eren’s eyes would drift open. The brunet wasn’t troubled by his evasive dreams, not when he felt more rested and alert every time he woke.

After a particularly long nap, Eren found himself being stirred by a gentle shaking. He blinked awake, mewling out a soft sound as he nestled closer to Rivaille’s warmth.

The raven was saying something, his voice like burnt wood in its low timbre, and it took the boy a few moments to register what his words had been.

“Sorry, precious. Looks like your snake friend already got dusted.”

“What?” Eren looked up from his curled position, sitting up straight and scowling down at the arena. “But he was doing so well.”

Yet, sure enough, the serpent was nowhere to be seen as teal eyes scanned the arena in search of the scaled freak. There was plenty of fresh ash, though; the pale grey piles scattered about darker soil by the footsteps of other fighters. Eren felt his eyes widen a little as it dawned on him just how many of his kin had perished.

And all in the name of entertainment.

Wow, Eren really should have just taken Rivaille to Vegas for a quick, no muss, no fuss wedding. It would have been far less bloody that way. Then again…Rivaille and Vegas…actually that would probably get messier than Hell. Terrible idea. Bad Eren.

The brunet was in the middle of chastising himself for his awful ideas when Rivaille clicked his tongue.

“A shame, really.” The raven tapped the claws of one hand along the stone beneath him, silvery eyes roving about the arena.

“Who beat him?” Eren asked. “The snake, I mean.”

“Nile and his pack.” Rivaille nodded over at the remaining group of demons.

Eren followed his gaze, teal orbs narrowing on the victors. There were four of them; three burly demons that the brunet recognised as Nile’s bodyguards, and then Nile himself. The dark-haired leader of the pack was far leaner than his escorts, weedy and desperate looking, like a sewer rat. His eyes held too many thoughts, plans that Eren felt the need to be suspicious of, and he had a distrustful air about him. Eren felt his stomach twist up at the sight, recognising that they were the only creatures left. The winners.

These would be his engagement present.

“Adorable, really…” Rivaille continued, absently stroking Eren’s thigh, “he can’t seem to go anywhere without extra security. Still, a deal is a deal. Which one do you want to fight, dearest?”

Eren almost exhaled his relief, but thought better of it. With the choice before him, the brunet was certain that he did not want to fight Nile. There was just something about his eyes that made Eren uneasy. Although the brunet was sure that he could take on a guard or two.

The boy was considering who to choose when a voice spoke up. A voice from below.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to bring your celebration to a halt, Rivaille.”

Rivaille’s eyes were already narrowing in on Nile. It had been he who had spoken and the raven was not pleased by his words.

“Hoh?” Silvery eyes flashed in challenge. “There had better be a good reason for this interruption.”

Nile had the gall to smirk, ducking his head in a brief show of respect.

“Oh there is.” The dark-haired demon assured Rivaille, raising his eyes to look right at Eren. “I challenge Eren for his mating right.”

For a few, awful seconds, there was nothing but silence.

Eren’s eyes widened, fury building in his chest, but before he could even think to say something in return a sound like low, rumbling thunder echoed through the air. The noise was followed by the snarls and hisses of the entire company gathered, for there was no greater insult to a demon than denying them the right to have their fated one.

Strangely enough, Nile did not seem the least bit phased by the boiling pit of fury that he was surrounded by on all sides.

“It’s a fair challenge, is it not? I’m sure I can offer you more than a pair of pretty eyes.”

Sharp teeth snapped at Nile’s words, Rivaille’s eyes glowing with pinpricks of red. He clutched the brunet closer with a possessive snarl, wanting nothing more than to rip out Nile’s throat. But…

“Well?” The greasy-haired demon continued, holding his hands out by his sides. “Will you accept my challenge? Or deny it…and call of this gathering as a result?”

Rivaille couldn’t stop himself from snarling, the sound a constant, low rumble in his throat. He wanted to tear Nile limb from limb and then toss him into the lava pits piece by piece to watch him burn into nothing. But if he refused a challenge like this…then he would have to call off the rituals. And wait. Again. Once a challenge was issued, it had to be resolved. One way or another. And Rivaille could wait, could refuse to let Eren fight and then take care of Nile himself. But then Eren would feel inadequate, all of their progress would be shattered. They would have to start all over again.

Rivaille had come too far to let this wretched freak interrupt their bonding.

“Fine.” The word was bitten out, Rivaille punctuating it with a snap of his teeth. “My Eren can take you. Leave your guards too. I’m sure they won’t be much of a challenge for Eren either. We’ll see who’s the worthy one soon enough.”

From his place on Rivaille’s lap, Eren tried not to grimace. Of all the days for something to go wrong, it had to have been the third day. The day during which Rivaille would be the most worked up. Nile had never given them too much trouble before…although being the slimeball that he was; Eren wouldn’t have been surprised if he learned that Nile had had his eye on Rivaille for a while.

“Here are the rules.” Rivaille began. “Do you hear me down there, Nile? Good. Rule one: no leaving the boundaries until the fight is over. Rule two: you will fight hand-to-hand. Physical combat only. Rule three: no magic.”

The raven listed each rule on a clawed finger, silver eyes boring into Nile’s form in a stare that was nothing short of menacing.

Nile nodded. “Very well.”

“That includes numbing.” The raven’s eyes flared, cold and unforgiving. He couldn’t seem to get his upper lip to uncurl, white teeth on threatening display.

Eren winced, already apprehensive of this fight and it had not even begun. Rivaille’s foul mood was not directed towards him but it still made the brunet uneasy. He could understand the banning of magic, that would make this a fair fight, one based on actual skill rather than enchantments. But without the advantage of numbing…every last injury would prove a distraction. Eren would need to be careful. Even more than usual.

The brunet stood, flexing, letting his claws grow through with a brief hiss of discomfort. He would need the sharp talons if he was going to win this fight. Eren was not particularly worried about Nile’s goons. If he could single them out then he could pick them off one by one. No problem. It was their master that had the boy concerned. Nile was no low level demon. He was nowhere near Rivaille’s level, but this dark-haired, beady-eyed fiend was still trouble. Trouble enough to have won every fight today. With help, of course.

But that didn’t matter. Eren had to win. He was not about to let some scumbag take his mate or his life. If anything, he had to survive to make it back to…

Thoughts of a different raven-haired being drifted into Eren’s mind for the first time since Rivaille had promised his safe return. The brunet stiffened, his mind clearing in a moment of brief sanity.

Levi. Levi was still waiting for him. Wasn’t he? Would he still be there when Eren returned? Would Eren still want him if he made it through this fight? If he made it through the rest of the ritual with Rivaille?

That settled it, left a concrete certainty in the brunet’s mind. He was going to win this fight. There was no choice. Because if he died…then there would be no one to tell Levi what had happened to him…there would be no one around to keep Levi safe from his own kind, from Erwin, from himself even.

“Don’t worry, pet, you’ll do fine.”

Eren’s head snapped over to look at Rivaille when the older demon spoke to him. The brunet offered an uneasy smile, realising that Rivaille must have sensed his distress and chalked it up to Eren being nervous about his fight.

If only that were the case. Not for the first time was the brunet grateful that his mate could not read minds.

“Better head along now, precious…” Rivaille coaxed the boy forward with a pat to his rump, “do me proud.”

“Are you kidding?” The brunet scoffed.

Eren managed a bitter smile, flexing a little as teal scales grew through to cover more of his skin in a simple defence. The brunet flicked his hands out, the talons clicking as they tapped against hardened scale, and he turned back to offer Rivaille a smirk.

“Like I would let you take Nile for your mate.” He said, receiving an approving purr from the raven in response.

Turning on his heel, Eren swung himself over the stone ledge of the balcony and dropped into the arena. He landed with a muted thud, half-crouched, and as the brunet straightened slowly he dug his clawed toes into the dirt. It gave him purchase to either spring forth or hold his ground against an attack, both of which could become necessary actions in the next few moments. From the moment he set foot in the arena, the match had begun. Now all that needed to happen was for somebody to go ahead and make that first move. A quick glance at each of his opponents told Eren that it would be one of the guards to make the first attack. They were already twitchy, shaking out their limbs, itching to bolt. For a moment the brunet thought that perhaps they were waiting for some sort of order or command from their leader, some instruction maybe.

Eren soon learned that there was no such order to this pack.

With a startling bellow, the first of the guards charged Eren. The boy’s eyes blew wide from momentary shock, but those orbs narrowed an instant later and the brunet sidestepped in the last available second. He watched the fool stumble past, staggering on heavy footsteps that dug into the ground in an effort to halt his progress forward. But it was too late. Snaking an arm around the demon’s neck, Eren yanked him roughly backwards to upset his footing. He hooked his elbow under his foe’s neck, wrenching his head back, and with his other hand he jerked the demon’s head to one side. There was a sickening snap, the sound of ripping flesh and cartilage and the spray of dark blood when Eren set his teeth to his enemy’s throat and tore it out. Smooth, fluid. There was no hesitation in the boy’s movements. He straightened, dropping the lifeless body as it began to crumble and spitting the gore in his mouth onto the dirt beneath him.

That first death was over in seconds, leaving the remaining attackers frozen after witnessing a comrade taken down with such little effort. Eren turned towards his remaining aggressors, wondering if he looked intimidating to them now, covered in the blood of one of their own. Sour, black blood that even now turned to ash on his tongue.

One down, three to go.

Somewhere above, Rivaille gave a pleased hum. Eren could not tear his gaze away from his enemies to look for the raven, however. There was caution in those three sets of eyes now, like a trio of wary reptiles; they knew that he was a threat. An actual threat to their existence. Not just some pretty piece of tail for Rivaille to play with. And it showed in the way the two remaining guards started circling Eren, heading two separate ways. A swift attack had failed…so now teamwork became the obvious course of action. It made perfect sense but Eren couldn’t help but sneer a little. Here he was, standing alone amongst several foes, and these fuckers had the gall to play team? The brunet felt his upper lip curl a little. Fair fight his ass. If anything this was just another way for Rivaille to show off. But Eren didn’t mind so much. Not this time. If he could prove that he was worthy of being the partner of such a powerful creature, then he would take that chance in a heartbeat. But first he had to survive long enough to win this match. If he let any of the demons get behind him, then he would be at a disadvantage. He had to keep them all in his line of sight. But Eren couldn’t just rush in and try to take out one of them. Such a brash and reckless move would only welcome the remaining two to attack him while he grappled with whoever he charged. That had already been proven by the first foolish demon to die.

That left…just about one option.

Eren ran for Nile. Straight down the middle, as fast as he could. And Eren had always been a speedy little thing, crossing over the ground like a cheetah having singled out its prey. He could sense the immediate panic that seized the two guards as they realised that their boss was left undefended. Even Nile seemed gob struck that Eren would so boldly challenge him. It was the perfect way to get both of his bodyguards rushing inwards, making it their goal to stop Eren before he could reach their leader.

Which was exactly what Eren wanted.

Their footsteps thundered closer and closer, nearer and nearer. Eren could hear their hushed cursing close behind him. He dropped into a roll just before their hands could grab at him, dragging a hand through the soil as he went. Coming out of the roll, Eren turned in time to see his attackers just barely manage to avoid cracking their heads together. They turned on him, only for the larger demon to cop a handful of ashen soil to the face, the dirt burning his eyes. He flailed with a shout, unable to stop Eren’s tail from snaking around his body and pinning his arms. The other demon earned himself the wrath of Eren’s claws; one hand slashing the demon’s face and the other ripping into his gut.

Eren pushed the bleeding fiend away, turning his teeth on the demon now struggling against him. The brunet aimed a vicious bite for the guard’s throat, catching the side of his neck when the fucker anticipated the assault. It didn’t matter because Eren still tore out a healthy mouthful of flesh, spitting it out as he dug his claws into the chest of the guard pinned by his tail, trying to carve out his heart. He made short work of the squealing fiend, flicking the ashen remnants of the now-dead demon’s heart to the wind and rolling away from a snarling set of teeth.

Two down, two to go. And in all of this, Nile had not yet acted. Eren shot him a fleeting glance as he rolled into a crouch, wary of the remaining demon guard who was busy trying to stand. It was bleeding and snarling, gnashing its teeth. More or less lost to its instincts now that the threat of death was so very real to it. Good; a mad beast would be far less likely to try anything too clever. This beast was as good as dead.

But Nile hadn’t so much as batted an eyelash. He hadn’t lifted a claw to help his escorts. All the greasy-haired demon had done was watch them die. Analysing, perhaps? Learning how Eren fought? It hardly mattered, not when the brunet changed his tactics depending on the situation at hand.

The remaining guard snarled a choked sound at Eren, standing with a good portion of its guts hanging out. One eye had been gouged right out of the socket, leaving behind a gaping void of black. The other eye had a nasty set of twin gashes running underneath. He looked a right mess, bleeding all over the dirt, volcanic soil mixed with the juice of entrails. The stench of it was awful.

But it spelt Eren’s success. This creature was wild, out of its mind with rage and pain. It would be easy to take this guard down.

The brunet was only worried…about the leader. Why hadn’t he attacked yet? What was he doing? Surely he had to have had some sort of plan if he was going to challenge Eren for his mating right. It was one of the most serious rituals of demonkind. No one tried to upheave the bond between mates without having thought it through first.

So what was he doing just standing there and watching his comrades die?

Eren’s thoughts were rudely interrupted by a gurgling snarl. The last guard broke into a staggering run and the brunet stepped backwards calmly to put some distance between them and Nile so that he could take down this foolish creature without having to constantly worry. A single, well-aimed slash of claws was all that it took to bring the beast down, the talons slicing through the demon’s throat and catching enough for Eren to break its neck in the same movement. The precision of it all was an odd sort of satisfying. It reminded Eren of killing humans, of the softness of their skin…so easy to cut. So very easy to make them bleed.

And then there was just Eren and Nile standing there amidst the scent of soil and the bitter tang of demon blood fizzling away into nothing. The gore on Eren’s face had all but steamed away, leaving little trace of the guards beforehand. Their only remnants now were ash, small piles of soft grey scattered around the black soil. Teal eyes snapped up, full of fire, to find Nile’s form gone. The brunet clicked his tongue, tasting the air. The bastard hadn’t gone far; he was still in the arena somewhere along the shadowy border. But he had broken Rivaille’s ‘no magic’ rule. Eren considered the fight as good as over. Even if he had wanted to battle with Nile, Eren would never dream of going against Rivaille’s instructions. The rules had been clear.

No leaving the boundaries. Hand-to-hand combat only. No magic.

Even using above average speed was cheating. A clear violation. Eren glanced up at where Rivaille was sitting, high above the arena, but a noise behind him had the brunet freezing in place.

A dreadful sound had started up, low and soft and all the more terrifying for it.

A low growl that could only belong to one creature. The sound like the distant crackle of thunder, a barely-there threat that promised teeth and nightmares.

Hellhound. There was no mistaking it.

Eren turned on his heel, slow and careful, as one sudden or jerky movement could mean his death. The arena was silent, all of the crowd in a lull as they looked on towards the side opposite of Eren. Nile stood there…and at his side was the hound. A dog-like beast the size of a horse, covered unevenly in patches of wiry hair. Black ooze dripped from its jaws, with jagged teeth sticking out in several directions. Eren had only ever faced one of these monstrous creatures a single time in his existence. One of Rivaille’s experiments.

The brunet had been nothing more than a plaything for one of the beasts back then. A chew toy, quite literally. He’d had his body mangled, torn apart, left broken and a hair’s breadth from death.

He never wanted to lay eyes on one again. But at the very least he had identified Nile’s plan. He had been analysing Eren’s ability to fight. And if this was his solution, then Nile’s own abilities couldn’t have been that outstanding.

Unfortunately for Eren, this was not the time to gloat over that because the hellhound was moving. It lifted one great paw and that was all the warning Eren had. It broke into a run, moving in a blur that only the supernatural could achieve. The brunet seized up. He knew that this was a fight or flight situation and he had to make a decision.

Eren chose flight, spinning to make a run for it. But, in his dash to get back from the monstrous beast, Nile darted close enough to shove him into the path of the bellowing hound. That bastard, he had been waiting for Eren to forget about him. All it had taken was the right sort of fear to get Eren falling right into Nile’s trap. Staggering, the brunet's eyes blew wide as time seemed to slow for a moment. The hound was close, too close for Eren to be able to recover from a fall and get back to his feet. There was no way that he would be able to correct his balance in time to flee now and the hell-hound was bearing down on him. Right then...plan b.

Fight. Claws extending to their full length, the teal-eyed demon let out a snarl of challenge as the monstrous hound snapped its jaws. Wrenching himself to the side, Eren managed to avoid the enormous jaws that snapped shut right where he had been, black drool splattering to the ground and sizzling ominously. The ground seemed to somehow shrivel under the dark slime, making Eren want to curl in on himself. Even this creature’s aura was withering. Hell-hounds were made of fear and nightmares, living off of the terror they wrought. In the time it took for Eren to blink, the brunet slammed into the hound, digging his talons into one great shoulder for purchase as his other hand dug its claws into the side of the wolf-like demon's skull. Claws grated against bone, cracking their way in mercilessly. Eren’s growling echoed against the noise of the hound’s own snarls as the pair struggled. The brunet had to keep shifting, getting out of the way of those terrible teeth, while the monster itself tried to shake itself free of Eren’s grip. In a moment of desperation, the hell-hound's neck was wrenched to the side, breaking with a sickening snap. The hound let out a strangled howl that pitched into a whine, keeling over sideways. The beast was dead before it hit the ground, collapsing with a mighty thud.

Another cry sounded, pained, and as the dust settled it became clear where the sound was coming from. Eren lay half-sprawled on the ground...his left leg trapped under the dead hound's body. He had been able to kill the beast but there had not been enough time to get out of the way. As the hound became dead weight, he was caught under it.

From his seat above the grounds, Rivaille sat up straighter, his eyes narrowing as they observed the brunet. The raven was furious, hands digging holes into solid stone as he pushed himself up to stand. Eren wasn't moving much and he certainly wasn't getting up. He seemed in a bad way, his leg probably broken. The hound was dead at least, but...there was still very real fear in the boy's wide eyes. Rivaille felt a lurching tug in his gut, a need to move, to defend.

But he had to wait for Eren’s plea. The rules of his match had been broken…but this was still a challenge. And even though Nile had already lost by default, having disobeyed the rules of the match, Rivaille would not risk entering the fight and putting Eren at risk of being seen as the loser by the crowd. He had to be absolutely sure that his intervention would not result in outrage.

Down in the pit, Eren had to remind himself not to thrash. The hound was dead, it was dead, it couldn't hurt him. His trapped leg felt like it was on fire under the crushing weight of the beast's carcass, the fire worst in his femur. Broken, it had to be, nothing else would explain the agony.

_Come on, Eren. Come on, come on!_

The boy bit his tongue trying to keep himself from crying out, but the sounds only came out strangled.

Shit, and he could still hear Nile darting about in the shadows at the edge of the arena. The demon stopped moving long enough for Eren to spot him, but the sight had the brunet paling. Another hound morphed out of the shadows, snarling as it padded forward, grimy drool dripping down terrible teeth. Fear twisted itself in Eren's gut, a dread that he hadn't felt since that first fight, and in his panic teal eyes sought out the silver gaze watching from above.

It wasn't the verbal plea that Rivaille had been expecting, but even seeking him out at all was more than the raven had experienced before. Eren never asked for help; he always fought his battles alone, gathering his own forces, honing his own skills. There were no pleas or bargains, just the will to win.

Until now.

Silver orbs flashed when they met the brunet's panicked teal gaze. It all but screamed _help_.

The hound lumbered closer, its demonic master muttering some sort of proud victory speech while the brown-haired brat thrashed, snarling viciously. There was fear in the demon's eyes, but he couldn't retreat, couldn't escape, and so all that was left was to fight until his life ebbed away. And fight he would. Nile would not get the satisfaction of seeing Eren give up just because he knew there was no way to win this.

It didn’t matter that he couldn’t win. All that mattered was that he could not allow himself to die.

Eren shoved at the corpse keeping him down, but without breaking Rivaille's rule of no magic, there wasn't anything he could do to shift the carcass. His strength was already waning after a day of fighting his kin and without being able to draw on the surrounding energy, the brunet was all but helpless under the crushing weight of the dead hound. Without killing fire, the beast's body would remain. The demon boy's claws and teeth were sharp, ready to tear into anything that came close enough for him to reach.

“Kill.” Came the command from Nile’s mouth.

The hound charged forward at the order, clawed feet tearing up the ground. Eren let out a horrified whine, one hand raised and ready to slash when the ground shook violently. The brunet couldn’t hold back a scream of agony as the earth groaned and shifted. A fissure opened up in front of him, tearing through the middle of the arena followed by a rush of golden liquid and heat. Lava. The golden river rumbled into existence between the brunet and the hound, separating them.

With a high-pitched whistling sound, a rush of shadows swarmed down from above, sweeping over the dead hound and the demon boy before grouping together on the other side of the lava moat. The flickering darkness swept up into the petite form of a black-haired demon...a demon whose silver gaze stopped the hell-hound dead in its tracks.

“Bad dog.”

The murmur was low enough to shake the ground. Eren could feel Rivaille’s voice in the air. His words were followed by an agonised howl as the hound was rushed by Rivaille, the smaller demon moving so fast that it was almost as if he were attacking from all sides at once. Claws, teeth and tail all had their turn in the carnage and the soundtrack of horrified whining and wailing rose and fell with every blow until the hound lay in a bloody heap, left at its master's feet, barely alive.

Nile was frozen, having not even seen Rivaille get close enough to him to place the hound there, let alone get back to the brunet brat.

The raven-haired demon strutted ever-so-calmly towards Eren, sending out white crystals of ice with every footstep. The lava moat froze over with a groan as the boiling rock stiffened. The pale demon's form dripped with sour black blood. Turning on his heel, the dark-haired wraith stood between his mate and the remaining warrior, tapping a clawed foot against the ground.

Calm but irritable; every demon's worst nightmare was to catch Rivaille in such a mood.

“Well...that was an entertaining match.” The raven murmured, arms crossing over his chest. His coating of hound blood was steaming away, voice not quite back to normal. It was electric, lighting up the air around him. “If only we didn't have a cheater to come along and spoil things.”

Nile seemed to snap out of his fear-stricken daze in time to stammer a few words. “My Lord, I only-”

“ _Quiet._ ” Rivaille's true voice rattled through the arena, bringing a lulling hush to the gathered demons. Even when it lost that intangible tone, the raven’s words still seemed to catch on the air, low and icy. “I'm sure you're aware, as everyone here is, that my Eren could take you on anytime, anywhere, if the fight was fair.”

There was a pause, like Nile was considering whether or not his next words would earn him death or not.

“No disrespect, Sir, but he was losing.” The words came at last, tentative. Unsure.

And with good reason.

Rivaille’s eyes darkened visibly, flickering with red for a moment. “That's because precious Eren wouldn't _dream_ of breaking one of my rules.” The raven's thin lips curved up into a proud smile. “He's such a clever thing. Unlike you.”

“I-I didn't mean-”

“You did mean what?” Rivaille cut Nile off, each word seeming cold. Heavy. Like metal hooks, threatening to snare and embed and tear through flesh. “To hurt my mate? To torture him? To kill him? Why else would you summon a hell-hound? Why else would you instruct it to end a life?”

“I just-”

“You just made your last mistake. Rule number three, naughty thing,” the raven’s his eyes were void of emotion, void of colour, void of...anything really. The whole of the Rivaille's eyes were coal pools, “no magic.”

The wraith raised a pale hand, snapping his fingers once, and the arena fell into stunned silence as the cheating demon and his hound burst into flame. The white fire lit with a roaring rush, flames shooting high into the chilly air, consuming Nile and his monstrous pet with a ravenous hunger until the pair dissolved into glittering ash, their howling screams echoing in the space.

Quiet. Only quiet for the longest moment. Rivaille clenched his hands into fists, trying to breathe without growling. He couldn’t quite manage it. All his hands wanted was flesh under them. It was too late to return to any semblance of pleasantries. The third day was drawing on, the dark clouds still blocking out the sun however Rivaille knew by the pull in his gut that he was running out of time. His instincts were rising up, wanting to lash out with so many demons around, too close to him and far too close to Eren. Rivaille was shaking. He wanted every last creature in this place choking on their own blood. No, not choking. He wanted them all quiet. Dead. Problems that he no longer had to worry about.

Well…there was one creature who Rivaille did not want dead right now. Eren…that’s right, he was hurt.

The raven turned on his heel, frozen soil crunching softly underfoot. Silver eyes flared as they roved over the demon crowd gathered around the now-broken arena.

“Party time is over, kids.”

There was only one way to interpret those words. Rivaille didn’t leave any time for the message to be interpreted differently. He tore off in a rush of shadows, ready to kill if he needed to. The arena emptied in a heartbeat, demons scrambling left and right in a panic to get out of the way. The raven-haired wraith hunted every last creature out of his castle, making sure that not a single demon remained besides himself and…

Eren…poor Eren.

Rivaille kept a close watch on the horizon, watching demons flee faster than any human’s eye could follow. To Rivaille, it was like watching rats scurrying from a predator. Only he would not give chase. Not now, not with his mate crying for him back in the arena. Only when not a single soul could be detected did he turn his attention from the surrounds to his injured mate, rushing back to where the brunet was struggling feebly.

Eren was still futilely attempting to extract himself from beneath the crushing corpse of the dead hound, its body slower to crumble than others. Hell-hounds were, unsurprisingly, tough in death as well as in life. The pain it caused Eren to be trapped there was enough to make even Rivaille's cold heart ache.

Rivaille was by the boy’s side in an instant.

“Stop struggling.” The raven ordered, not failing to notice the way the boy winced when he spoke.

Eren was sobbing, not bothering to try and hold back the pained sounds now that they were alone. He choked on agonised groans, clutching at the raven’s leg.

Rivaille hushed the younger demon, cooing to distract him. He could smell the distress in Eren’s scent. It tingled in his nose, unpleasant as it stirred a protective surge within the raven.

Crouching beside the brunet, the night wraith pushed against the corpse and rolled it off of Eren in a moment, as though it weighed no more than a feather. The body crumbled to ash at last, being whisked away by a sudden wind. The movement and sudden shift in pressure still made the younger demon cry out, half-curling in on himself as he gasped for breath. Breath that he didn't need. He could feel the shattered bone, was dreading even the thought of healing it.

A hand settled over Eren's crushed limb and the brunet whined in fear, dreading punishment. Rivaille was in a bad mood and that had never proven to be a good thing.

But then a warm light shone from the raven's palm where it was pressed to the juncture where the boy's leg met his torso, and while it did hurt...it was a healing kind of pain.

“Wh-What are you-”

“Hush. You didn't fail me out there today.” Rivaille's voice murmured, low and intimate as he stroked his thumb against Eren's skin. “Remember that, Eren.”

The raven settled down next to the brunet, willing to wait with him while he healed. With their combined efforts it wouldn’t take too long, but Rivaille was unwilling to move the boy until his discomfort had passed. Eren allowed the raven to nestle up to him, bedding the boy’s head in his lap while Rivaille threaded his fingers through his mate’s hair. It would take some time for Eren’s leg to heal, but the raven planned to wait with him through the whole thing. Together they could mend bone in half the time, but even then it would be at least an hour and a half until the brunet would be able to be moved.

Rivaille grit his teeth and hoped that he would have the resolve to wait that long to get Eren to their nest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter Eren will be healed, the poor thing. And then, the bond will be sealed. But what will be the effect?  
> P.S. I'm making videos and scripting for a sketch tomorrow so I probably won't be writing for my fics, so expect the next chapter to be posted in a couple of days or so.  
> Kudos to you all! Feedback would be appreciated, if you have any <3


	49. Bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot essential smut. The best kind.  
> Un-beta'd :p cos my beta is currently asleep.

“Our lips embrace and now I finally caught you. I’ll never, never let go.” – The Relay Company, Animals.

***

 

Every last choked whimper that left Eren’s mouth had that strange tugging sensation tightening in Rivaille’s gut, but he sat by his young mate and waited with him while the boy’s injuries healed. Rivaille’s instincts riled at the thought of waiting. They were running out of time; the third day was steadily losing hours the longer the two mates sat there in the arena. But Eren could not be moved without causing the boy considerable pain.

The brunet apologised a few times, although the raven-haired demon was not entirely sure what Eren was saying sorry for. For making the wraith wait, perhaps. Or maybe for getting himself injured in the first place. Regardless of what it was, Rivaille hushed the troubled brunet and held him while their magic did its work.

Two hours after it was broken, Eren’s leg was mended through their combined efforts. Rivaille knew that they could have pushed for even less time with their combined magic; however it would still have been incredibly painful for Eren. So he waited and gave the brunet plenty of time to mend the broken bone and bruised flesh. Rivaille’s comforting purring had morphed into low growls a long while ago but the brunet did not seem any less comforted by the sounds. Eren knew that his mate was there. That was all the comfort he needed.

It was getting harder and harder to resist pouncing on Eren with every passing moment. Rivaille dug the claws of his free hand into the soil beneath his palm, focusing on the way the brunet clung to him to distract himself. Eren’s face was buried against the older demon’s stomach where the boy had muffled most of his cries against pale skin. Rivaille tensed at the occasional stinging bliss of teeth piercing his flesh whenever Eren bit him – an attempt to escape from his own pain by taking in the raven’s blood.

By the time Eren could once again stand (somewhat shakily) Rivaille was at his breaking point. The brunet had barely gotten to his feet when the raven swept him off them again, cradling Eren’s head against the crook of his shoulder while he transported them through the castle in a few seconds that passed in a rush of smoke. Eren’s soft mewl of alarm was hushed by the growling wraith as he carried his young mate through the gloomy room, setting the brunet down on the scattered bedding in the far corner.

Eren tested his leg while Rivaille gathered the blankets that had been strewn about, rebuilding their little nest. The raven even disappeared for a few brief seconds only to reappear with new blankets and the pillows from his bed. By the time Eren was confident that his leg was healed well, Rivaille had constructed a fine nest for them in the dark of the little room.

Eren slumped into Rivaille’s arms when they were held out to him, allowing himself to be drawn back against the solid comfort of the raven’s chest. Warm, safe. Rivaille would keep him safe in that tight embrace he had enveloped the boy in. The brunet’s upper arm began to sting a little and when Eren looked he found his mate closing his jaws about his arm to bite down. He didn’t try to stop him. Eren only smiled, letting his mind wander. The more he thought about it…Eren wasn’t unhappy where he was. Rivaille was strong, capable, and fierce. He had proven that he could be tender too. Rivaille would make an excellent mate.

Eren wondered when he had decided that he was ready for this.

“How’s that, pet?” Rivaille’s voice carried through his purring, the soft vibrations never ceasing. “Is there any pain?”

Frowning for a moment in his confusion, Eren realised that Rivaille was talking about his leg. The brunet stared at the limb dumbly for a moment before he could speak.

“No.” He decided after a moment of stretching. “No pain. It’s just a bit stiff.”

Rivaille swallowed thickly, his eyes closing tight for a moment.

“Then…can I..?” The words softened, tapering off into a quiet growl before Rivaille turned away to compose himself somewhat. “Can I…please, Eren, I don’t know if I can-”

Another bite, a stinging kiss, was placed towards the back of the brunet’s right shoulder. Eren jolted, wanting to taste Rivaille in return. The urge to bite the raven became almost overwhelming and the brunet couldn’t stop himself from gasping when he realised that his body was craving the final part of their bonding ritual. It scared Eren that he could want so easily. He knew that he had to answer Rivaille first and give his consent…but if he did there would be no going back.

The brunet found himself speaking before his brain had fully caught up with the situation.

“Rivaille…”

Eren shocked himself with how steady his voice sounded when he spoke, the noise enough to gain him the raven’s attention. Dark orbs held determined teal for a long moment before Eren could make himself finish and push out the rest of his answer.

“…mate me.”

The second the words left Eren’s mouth Rivaille growled, low and predatory, and the brunet felt panic spike in him. The feeling ran like ice through his veins, freezing him up and filling the boy with dread. He had consented. Rivaille was going to dominate him, mate him, _own_ him. The demon boy had known this was coming, had known that he would resist, but the suddenness of his instinctual fear left Eren reeling for a moment. It was long enough for Rivaille to push the boy down and pin him on his stomach, anticipating a struggle, and the brunet mewled in his fright, thrashing his tail to upset the raven’s hold. But Rivaille held him tight.

Needle sharp teeth left bloody imprints along the brunet’s right side, sinking into the soft flesh there again and again, leaving the skin red and slick. Marked gloriously with the pattern of Rivaille’s teeth. The raven had an arm around the brunet’s middle, keeping Eren both pinned and pressed against him. Submit, submit, _submit_ …

Eren whined aloud and the terrified sound had Rivaille’s vicious snarls morphing, quietening into that reassuring purr that the brunet knew well. It left him uneasy, confused with the sudden clash of comfort and an instinct to fight, to get away. He hesitated, whimpering out a lost sound, and Rivaille took the few seconds of lapse in Eren’s struggle to spit on his the fingers of his free hand before he trailed them back to find his mate’s puckered entrance. Eren jerked at the sudden wet contact, trying to scramble away only to have his head slammed against the bedding beneath them. Rivaille had both of his hands busy now, one holding Eren still and the other keeping a rough hold on the scruff of the brunet’s neck. The younger demon squirmed but for the most part was relieved. If he could keep Rivaille’s hands busy then they wouldn’t get anywhere with this ritual.

Although Eren knew that it was mostly foolish to be afraid. He couldn’t help it. Much like Rivaille couldn’t help but treat his mate roughly when he struggled. The raven’s instincts were telling him to mate the brat as quickly as possible, the sense that they were running out of time sending panic through the wraith while Eren panicked for his own reasons. He felt consumed by fear. Fear of submitting, of handing control over to another of his kind, to one that had done him harm before.

Rivaille mouthed at the brunet’s nape, muffling a whimper of frustration. He shifted, aligning their bodies as best he could so that he could rut against the boy’s ass, at least able to slick up Eren’s entrance with his own precum. It wouldn’t be enough to make their mating comfortable but Rivaille feared that he wouldn’t get the chance to prepare his little mate properly. It was tricky with Eren’s struggling starting up anew. Rivaille managed to trap the younger demon’s hips with his own, hooking his feet around between Eren’s knees to keep his legs open. He couldn’t enter Eren like this, couldn’t even line himself up properly, but that didn’t stop the raven from trying. Trying and biting all the while.

Eren felt the sting of tears in his eyes, felt the shame as hot wetness spilled over and ran down his cheeks. He was readying himself to break free, maybe to throw them both sideways and make a dash for it? But there was a brief glow of light…the same sort of soft glow that signalled transformation. Rivaille was changing? But what? And why?

The brunet didn’t have to wait for long to find out the answer. The cool feeling of Rivaille’s scales lessened, leaving more skin pressing against Eren’s body. Had Rivaille shifted into a lesser form like Eren? The brunet was promptly shoved down until his chest met the ground, his stomach held up by Rivaille’s vice-like hold, and the boy’s arms were tugged behind his back and held there in a punishing grip. Eren knew that he was immobilised but Rivaille couldn’t exactly let him go to finish the job or the brunet would be free to struggle again. Just when the younger demon believed them to have reached a stalemate, he heard the wet slurp of Rivaille sucking something. Not Eren’s skin, he would have felt that. Not the raven’s own fingers…they were occupied keeping Eren pinned.

Then what..?

Something slippery prodded the brunet’s ass and Eren squeaked, startled. Tensing, the younger demon realised what was happening.

Rivaille had shifted forms, the extra skin instead of scales should have tipped the brunet off but he had been too panicked to know for sure. And now Rivaille planned to use the only thing he had left to stretch Eren and prepare him.

His tail. Eren was grateful that Rivaille had lost the spined tip at least but he still yelped when the scaled tip eased past his entrance, coaxing the tight ring of muscle there to open. Rivaille was crooning to him, pushing out words past the possessive purring that rumbled deep in his chest, and Eren forced himself to breathe. He could still feel that spiking fear, but the more he breathed…the more he caught the smell of him and Rivaille and their nest. Comforting, soothing, home. It eased some of his panic, dulled the need to thrash, and Eren begrudgingly relaxed, panting into the blankets by his face. Rivaille was draped over him, pressed flush against the boy’s back, holding him still, wrapping his arms about the brunet’s body. The closeness of it all was smothering…but in a good way. Eren had no idea how it could feel good to be smothered, but Rivaille managed to pull it off as he held the younger demon, purring and working his tail further into him. The appendage twisted and curled, corkscrewing its way in to get Eren stretched enough. Rivaille badly wanted to lean back and watch, to see dark scales breaching that blushing mouth, but he knew that Eren would struggle the minute he had any slack. The poor lamb couldn’t help himself, but Rivaille was in no mood for a tussle.

The brunet let out a breathy moan beneath the raven when Rivaille let his tail slip out all at once, angling his body to push the tip of his cock against Eren’s clenching entrance. The boy tensed, jerking to get away, but when Rivaille pulled him back the puckered mouth had unclenched and both males stiffened when the older demon breached the younger. Surprised groans left both Eren and Rivaille at the feeling. About a third of the raven’s length made it in before Eren clamped down to prevent further access, but Rivaille was all the more determined now that he had made it in. He cooed and crooned, giving Eren every opportunity to let him in for the few moments that his frayed patience allowed. And then the raven bit down on Eren’s nape with a snarl and pushed his hips forward with an unforgiving shove. Going in dry was not the best idea but Rivaille adored the burning sensation that turned to agonised bliss in the wake of their mating. Eren choked on strangled moans, the sounds caught somewhere between pleasure and pain.

“I’m sorry, precious,” Rivaille rasped out, giving an experimental thrust that had the both of them wincing, “this could be so much better,” another thrust, “if you would have let me prepare you properly.”

The chafing was annoying but Rivaille grit his teeth; he could bear with it. He got another several shallow thrusts in before Eren started to wriggle, trying to free himself.

“Please, Eren, for the love of Hell…” the raven whimpered, pushing his hips flush against the brunet’s while he struggled. If he slipped out now Rivaille thought he might actually cry.

With a brief hiss, Eren flexed his fingers and Rivaille noticed the dark curves of talons forming. The distraction was enough for the brunet to wrench one of his arms free, reaching back with a snarl to slash at the older demon’s side. The curved claws caught on pale flesh, digging in harshly, but Eren did not try to tear into him. Instead the younger demon tensed, an uncertain whimper passing his lips. There were twin desires rushing through his mind; a part of Eren wanted to rip into the scales and flesh that he was sinking his talons into, but another part wanted to clutch, to hold Rivaille in a fashion that held no mal intent. But the urge passed quickly into distress at the feeling of a pale hand closing around the brunet’s arm. If he hesitated, Rivaille would have caught him again.

So Eren did the only thing he could think of. He threw all of his weight to one side and upset their balance. His vision spun as they toppled sideways, Rivaille’s grip faltering. The pair landed on their sides with a crash, a winded grunt escaping the raven. Pale hands clamped down on the brunet’s shoulders, having surged up under Eren’s arms to yank him back against the wraith. Rivaille hooked a leg around Eren’s waist, ignoring his alarmed cries and pushing his hips against the boy’s ass. Alas, all he could manage was to rut his cock between the brunet’s ass-cheeks, pressing his forehead against the younger demon’s neck with a huff.

“Why do you have to be so difficult?” The raven panted in annoyance.

Eren flailed with one of his arms, managing to claw at Rivaille’s side. His nails were blunt this time around, normal and absent of their claws, but the raven had had just about enough. He growled right by the boy’s ear, rearranging his hands to yank Eren around so that they were facing each other. Rivaille was almost surprised to see that the younger demon was rock hard even despite his unwillingness. It was difficult to believe that Eren really did want this; he wanted to be mated, to be bonded with his fated one. It was only instinct, age old survival instincts, that kept the brunet fighting.

Teal eyes blinked, wide and worried, and held an icy silver gaze. Eren was completely still for all of about twenty seconds, twenty long seconds where he did nothing but stare into Rivaille’s eyes. The fight was ebbing from him, slowly but surely.

But the first thing Eren did when he blinked free of Rivaille’s stare was to jolt forward and bite him. The movement was rushed, unplanned, panic-driven in the brunet’s urgency. The raven grunted at the impact, feeling pointed teeth close over his throat. Stinging pain blossomed but Rivaille still felt the completion, the pleasure, of mate’s bite even as he was attacked. The bite started out vicious, with every intent to harm, but Rivaille lay there and let it happen. He could have stopped Eren…but not without hurting the boy. And that was not the point of this. Pain was not the goal for once. Rivaille’s hands clutched at Eren’s back, waiting, waiting until he could feel the sound of the brunet beginning to swallow, to focus less on attacking and more on what he could taste.

Blood, Rivaille, _mate_.

Mate was there with him, Eren was safe. He was safe. Mate wouldn’t hurt him.

Rivaille wouldn’t hurt him.

A wet sniffle sounded, followed quickly by a choked sob, and the arms that clung around Rivaille’s shoulders latched on in a different sort of earnest. There was desperation to the brunet’s tight hold that had nothing to do with fighting and, as Eren began to swallow down mouthfuls of dark blood, Rivaille groaned his relief. Eren had his head tilted even as he bit and drank, offering his neck to Rivaille where the bruised etching of his first bite could be seen under smears of red.

Eren had submitted at last.

The raven crooned to the sobbing boy, purring low in his throat as he brought up a hand to cradle the back of Eren’s head. He whispered words in the boy’s ear, murmurs that Eren wasn’t paying any mind to anyway and the raven would probably never utter them again. It didn’t matter that Eren wasn’t hearing him, all that mattered to Rivaille was that he finally got to speak from a place deep within him that he and everyone had believed to have been long-since dormant. One day the raven would show Eren this memory and let the demon boy hear every last word that he’d had to say. But for now Rivaille had to finish their ritual. The raven licked the fingers of one hand, reached down and worked the saliva into Eren’s skin. Repeated the motion, breached him gently. Did it again and again until he was sure that the trembling demon boy would feel no pain. This was the first time that holding Eren so close had caused Rivaille to hurt…a deep ache in his chest that brought a wet stinging to his eyes. He blinked back the wetness that threatened to build behind his eyes, clutched the brunet closer still. And Eren only tightened his own hold in return. No fear, no disgust, not a moment of hesitation. Only longing. Only that bone deep desire. No…deeper than bones. Rivaille was convinced that, as demons, they did not possess souls…but there had to be something inside them just as deep because Rivaille ached all over for no reason other than that he was happy. He was so damned happy that it hurt. It _ached_.

Rivaille refused to cry. He didn’t cry when he mourned so he sure as fuck wasn’t going to cry for anything else. Even his own happiness. Instead he ducked his head, felt the warmth of Eren’s skin beneath his mouth, and pressed his lips against the boy’s neck. Warm, gentle little licks wet Eren’s skin, a fond lapping as Rivaille’s mouth sought his initial bite mark; the site of his first claim. He sank his teeth in there, hearing Eren’s whimper accompany the wet crunch of flesh. A slow ache began to build in Rivaille’s gut, soothed a little every time Eren clutched him nearer. But they could only get so close and when the brunet began to keen too, muffling little cries against the blood-slickened skin of Rivaille’s throat, the raven knew that Eren felt the same ache that he did. Their bodies were crying out to each other, their very beings calling to join. Rivaille dug his teeth deeper into Eren’s flesh, seeking to sate the ache inside him. They had already begun blood-swapping; the longer they waited, the more acute their pain would become. Rivaille recognised the symptoms, a failsafe to ensure that their mating would be completed. Until their ritual was complete it would be physically painful for them to be apart. The discomfort had started already and Rivaille shifted to move atop the brunet, the pair of them keeping their jaws locked over where they had bitten. Eren squirmed, but this time around it was to help Rivaille get in place. Tanned legs hooked themselves up and around the raven’s back and as Rivaille lined himself up Eren broke away from his pale throat to share a bloody kiss. Pink lips were stained with dark nectar and the sight, the taste of it when Eren finally slotted his mouth against Rivaille’s, was enough to send the last of the wraith’s sanity off to the far corner of his mind.

Eren’s yelp as he was breached, entered in one rough push, was swallowed by Rivaille’s mouth; the sound lost to their kiss and the sudden shocked keen that the raven let out. The older demon panted, eyes blown wide in a rare vulnerable moment.

He could have cried at how good it felt just to be seated to the hilt inside his mate, nothing like any other creature could make him feel. He didn’t even want to _move_ but he had to, had to move, had to mark Eren up deep inside and complete this. They would be tied and Eren would be his. The rightness of just the thought alone had the older demon shuddering. Rivaille let go of a strained moan that morphed into a low growling, the noise starting up in the raven’s chest. The brunet let out a satisfied whimper, happy to at least have the aching in his belly gone for now. One ache replaced with another. And it did ache…but this ache was _good_. It was familiar somehow…a stretch that he was used to but couldn’t quite put his finger on why. It didn’t matter though, not with the comforting weight pressed against him, Rivaille’s blood on his tongue, Rivaille’s scent, _their_ scent, filling the brunet’s nose. The older demon nipped along Eren’s jaw, snarls falling from his lips as he sought out the bleeding wound on the boy’s throat. His hips pulled back a little, barely an inch before Rivaille started growling and Eren coaxed him back in, digging his heels into the small of the raven’s back. Growls softened to purring and Rivaille resorted to grinding and shallow thrusts so that they could be as close as possible.

The ache in Rivaille’s gut turned to lightning; a storm of rapidly building ecstasy of which he had no control over. He felt as though his insides were lit up with electricity, his pleasure scorching through his veins.

From the choked keens that Eren gave, the raven figured that his little mate must be feeling something similar.

Rivaille bit down, pushing his tongue against the wound to draw out more blood as he began to drink in earnest. Eren had already beaten him to it, lapping up as much of the scarlet liquid as he could get. The brunet was already beginning to get sluggish, lazy on the high of it, but he couldn’t stop yet. This, apart from the final seal of their bond through release, was the last thing that needed to happen to tie them together.

Bloodshare; the most dangerous part of the mating ritual for demons. If not done properly and with the due care that was required, demons could die from this part of the ritual. It was, of course, the most intense part; a way for mates to demonstrate their complete dedication to each other. Loyalty was strictly important to demon pairings and bloodshare was a unique way for mates to prove their devotion.

After marking and during the actual mating itself, mates would start to take in the other’s blood via their respective claiming marks. The goal was to drink as much of each other’s blood as possible without actually draining to the point of no return. There had to be enough life left in each demon for recovery, else they would perish into ash just like any regular death. After consumption, mates would pass into a frenzied state and lose consciousness for anywhere between a couple of hours up to a whole day while their bodies recovered from losing so much blood and gaining new life essence. Essentially, mates were exchanging each other’s life blood and absorbing that as their own, taking a piece of each other into themselves and establishing an incorruptible bond between them. Once completed, mates gained certain unique abilities such as shared sensation – a trait through which both mates are able to feel the same things. That and a keen sense of what one’s mate is feeling. Emotions are easy to read through scent alone, but after bonding each mate is able to feel what their partner is feeling, both physically and mentally. It is not quite the same as mind reading seeing as no actual thoughts are being read. But feelings can be known and distinguished very easily.

After ingesting, mates would sleep for as long as it took for them to recover. More animal than anything else, they would join again and again until sanity returned to them; with every coupling strengthening their bond until they had absorbed each other’s offering of blood and could function again.

Then and only then would their mating ritual be complete.

Rivaille broke away, swallowing with a groan before he sunk his teeth into a new patch of skin on Eren’s shoulder. The bite was brief, just another quick marking before the raven was back to lapping. Eren’s body was squeezing around him now and thank God because Rivaille was already feeling lightheaded from Eren…Eren all around him, against his skin, under his fingers, in his veins. The older demon pushed his hips flush against Eren’s ass when he felt his climax threatening to take him, clutching at the boy’s shoulders until the very tips of his talons peeked through the skin. He held the brunet in a crushing embrace; claws just barely attached to tanned skin like Rivaille thought Eren might disappear if he closed his eyes for too long. The older demon was surprised when his young mate gave a sudden spasm beneath him, decorating their stomachs with white. A high, whining moan escaped the brunet’s throat and he threw his head back, legs tightening around the raven’s waist. The way the boy tensed up as he came untouched, clenching around Rivaille suddenly, was both delicious and devastating. The wraith had never felt so whole in all his existence, lost in his own mind, limbs heavy and eyelids drooping.

Orgasm crept up on the raven in a rush and Rivaille came with a yelp, jerking his hips once, twice, before he gave a shuddering groan and collapsed.

Eren was still mewling in his ear, soft and quiet as he suckled at the red still on Rivaille’s skin while the raven twitched in his arms with each throb of his cock shooting seed deep inside the brunet. It was a foreign feeling…different from any other instance of release. But Rivaille wasn’t surprised because this was _Eren_ , this was _mate_ , and nothing could be more right than being able to claim his perfect lamb, his little one.

_Claimed, mated, mine_.

With a lazy whine, Rivaille latched his mouth over the bleeding bite on Eren’s neck, suckling and lapping at the ruby liquid that pulsed out for his tongue to catch. The raven coaxed Eren to drink as well, even though both of their movements were growing more sluggish by the moment. Rivaille’s skin tingled, too hot, burning up from inside with nectar that was not his own…but would be soon. Every tiny movement, slow and unsteady as they were, brought an unknown ecstasy to the raven-haired fiend. Even something as simple as flexing his fingers had Rivaille shuddering.

So this was what mating your fated one felt like?

It was worth every second of waiting.

The lap of Eren’s tongue, gentle as a kitten in its sluggish affection, sent shocks of pleasure through the smaller demon that were so overwhelming that Rivaille was cumming again without so much as moving his hips.

Barely another minute later saw both mates closing their eyes, tangled in each other’s languid embrace as they lost consciousness amongst the blood and sweat and blankets of their nest.

 

When Eren woke next, it was to his whole body tingling with pleasure. The best part of it, though, came from the hard length thrusting into him. Teal eyes blinked open to glance up sleepily at a panting Rivaille. The raven had woken first, half-mad with the need to be inside mate. He hadn’t even been able to wake the boy first, driven by his instincts.

Eren didn’t mind, couldn’t mind with how good he felt. His body came alive under Rivaille’s hands and mouth and teeth. The raven’s eyes widened, dark, black but for the barest rings of silver that were what was left of Rivaille’s irises in this state of madness. He lurched forward upon seeing that Eren was awake, hungry mouth seeking kisses that the brunet was all too happy to reward him with. The smooth scales of Rivaille’s tail curled around Eren’s fuzzy one, the two appendages tightening as they coiled about each other.

There was no biting this time around, other than the occasional nip here and there. There was no need for it. Eren could feel Rivaille in him in more ways than one; no doubt the raven could feel Eren within him too. The desire to consume was gone, sated entirely. In its wake was a new desire to be close, to mate and bond as many times as they were able. And that was exactly what drove Rivaille to snap his hips forward, the motion coming faster, rougher with every push.

If Eren had any sanity left to think, he might have wondered why his ass didn’t hurt. There wasn’t an ounce of discomfort anywhere in the brunet’s body, only bliss, scorching in its comfort with every little touch from mate. Eren only opened his legs wider, jerking his hips up to meet the brutal pace until Rivaille keened and came, biting the boy’s bottom lip as he did so. But Eren wasn’t finished just yet. He pushed the raven’s shoulder, rolling them so that the older demon lay beneath him. Eren rolled his hips, watching Rivaille’s eyes slit and the raven hissed at the continued stimulation. Good, too good. But it couldn’t hurt; nothing could hurt them like this. So Rivaille clutched at tanned hips, digging his fingers into the boy’s flesh with bruising force to help the younger find his release. The brunet’s limbs still felt sluggish; he could barely grip his leaking length to stroke himself. But he managed eventually, ramming his hips back to grind against Rivaille’s cock while the boy’s own arousal jumped in his hand and spilled pearly essence onto blood-smeared skin.

Eren groaned his relief, slumping forward into Rivaille’s waiting arms. The raven lay back, cradling the demon boy against his chest while they both lay still, unbreathing. There was no need for it and at this, the very base of their instincts, both demons had no need to seek the comfort of an old habit. They had each other for comfort now.

As they ley together, limbs strewn in a haphazard tangle, Eren felt a sliver of his sanity return. He glanced about, eyes filtering through the gloom to take in their surrounds. Their nest was mostly intact, with a few cushions in the far corner and some blankets in tangled tatters. Black smears and blotches of dried blood were encrusted on most of the bedding and the smell of _them_ , of Eren and Rivaille, was overwhelming. It had the brunet’s cock swelling anew and he rutted pitifully against the older demon’s abdomen. Eren’s mind worked slowly, too slowly for him to move his hand where he needed it. He could move his hips and raise his head, but any more complex movements were beyond the demon boy at that point in time.

It was going to be a long day. But that hardly mattered. Eren had no sense of time in this state; he didn’t care what was going on outside of those four walls that surrounded him and his mate.

Nothing else mattered for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. Again. Ugh, I should be better at this by now :/  
> That chapter seemed a lot shorter than when I was writing it. But hey, I finished the tricky chapter! Huzzah! AND WE'LL GET TO SEE LEVI SOON!


	50. Trap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this beast of a fic has 50 chapters now O_O whoa.  
> That's intense.  
> Ooh! I did a thing too! For anyone who's interested, I finally got around to drawing a basic sketch of my darling Rivaille just to give a vague idea of what he looks like in my mind's eye. (http://haberkonium.tumblr.com/post/134395922914/haberkonium-okay)  
> (P.S. I only got inspired because tristanesquesporadicy did a thing first and after I stopped squealing because FANART I did the thing above. But you can check out their thing too: http://tristanesquesporadicy.tumblr.com/post/134137088151/terrifying-midget-night-wraith-i-w-i-an)
> 
> ANYWAY _> Here you go! An actual chapter with more than 5000 words. At last. Geez. I finally got out of my funk and so here is this chapter ^_^ I've been looking forward to it for a long while now and I'm curious to see people's reactions. Lots of people in this chapter.  
> This isn't beta'd either. Bummer. Shout if you see an error. I'm still trying to fix up mistakes in other chapters too :p  
> Anyhoo, enjoy!

“Electrify the resistance in your broken heart and bun it up. We’re going to photosynthesize and drink up the sunrise…” – Vienna Teng, Never Look Away.

***

 

“You’re back!”

Two words that couldn’t have made Levi happier to have decided to walk through the doors of Sina Dojo that morning. Like the first breath of warm spring air after a bitter winter, the smiles and gasps that greeted Levi’s unexpected appearance seemed to lift the gnawing dread right off of his shoulders. Just like magic.

Hell, even Nifa had seemed pleasantly taken aback to see the petite instructor pushing his way in through the doors to admin.

The raven-haired man had deliberately picked a day when he knew that his students, his little squad, would all be present at the dojo. And there they were, all wearing an array of priceless expressions ranging from shocked to elated. He was almost swept off his feet by Petra when she pounced on him with a crushing hug that was more than welcome, followed quickly by Aurou who really did sweep him off his feet and into a hug that was no less welcome but slightly less comfortable due to the fact that the raven’s feet were several inches above the ground. Levi was abruptly reminded of why he had never been much of a fan of human interaction; it always got so emotional and messy. And awkward. Christ almighty, this kid just wasn’t going to put him down. Someone was laughing, Nanaba it sounded like, but more chuckles started up before Levi could tell her to shut it. Somehow he didn’t mind being the butt end of their amusement. The raven realised belatedly that he had never made anyone here laugh so openly before. The warmth that bubbled up in his chest somehow managed to hurt and feel wonderful at the same time.

And then came the group hug. Oh dear Lord. Levi wasn’t sure how all the dojo’s occupants in the near vicinity decided to act with a hive mind, but they rushed him and Aurou in sync and suddenly Levi found himself surrounded. It was uncomfortable and warm and limb-crushing just like any group hug ought to be. When Levi was once again released and set on his own two feet, it was twenty questions all over again.

“Where have you been?”

“Are you coming back to stay?”

“Will you come to the tournament at the end of the year?”

So many queries all at once. It was overwhelming and yet Levi couldn’t help but to welcome the rush of questions.

Even these perfectly innocent questions were enough to get Levi’s heart aching. He couldn’t remember how long he had been away from all of this now. It felt like years in his heart, a whole lifetime away, but the raven wouldn’t have been surprised if someone had told him that he had only been gone for a number of weeks. Weeks during which so much had happened. Levi had learned so much, experienced so much. Suddenly life before Eren seemed longer than an eternity away from the present, stretching away like a vast desert full of memories. The simile suited Levi’s thoughts and he almost smirked at the irony – memories of his old life seemed to sieve through his fingers like the sands of his little figurative desert.

Levi wondered if this was how Eren felt whenever he came back from Hell’s wastelands? Lost…disoriented and full of memories and experience that no one else would understand. It had to be similar. Who knew, maybe he and Eren could relate through this little revelation and swap stories once the brat…

The raven-haired man had to stop himself mid-thought. He couldn’t keep dwelling on when Eren would return to him. The kid…he was a demon. He had issues and problems that Levi could never hope to stand against. Sometimes Levi wondered if Eren had only chosen to pursue him out of some wretched and mislead desire to be close to a creature who resembled his mate? It made sense; Rivaille had been nothing but cruel to the demon boy until he decided to become his suitor. Maybe Eren had seen a chance to pretend that he and his mate had something gentle? Maybe Eren had leapt at that chance…and now here they were. Two fucked up individuals, miserable and bleeding from wounds that no medicine could heal.

Levi figured that he must have looked a little lost because a new query rose up through the happy chatter and laughter.

“Where’s Eren?”

Quiet followed, the happy murmuring dying down to wait for Levi’s answer.

Petra was the one to voice this particular question. She did so with a smile, eager and ignorant to the greater details of Levi’s topsy-turvy life.

“Is he coming back to the dojo with you sometime?” The chestnut-haired girl continued, unaware of the thread of discomfort that she tugged on, pulling at the seam of Levi’s bruised heart.

Ah…the most painful of all the questions. It had been a shock coming back to the Dojo like everything was normal. Sometimes Levi forgot that he had once had a life outside of Eren. He was reminded all too keenly of it now. There were places he could go, people that worried about him even though they were well aware that he could take care of himself. This place and these people…once it had been about the closest thing that Levi had considered family. The people there had been family and this place was home.

But bonds like that, they did not fade so easily. Levi’s chest twinged uncomfortably as he forged a lie from little truths, feeding the mistruth to the onlookers.

“He’s…back at college for now.” The raven replied, swallowing as he glanced down. “I’m not sure when he’ll be visiting again.”

Tiny truths twisted to suit his story. Levi told himself that it was nothing too terrible to fib, especially when a lie could keep these people safe. These people who cared about him.

“Oh, that’s too bad.” Petra murmured, offering an understanding smile.

That careful little curve to her lips told the raven more than he wanted to know about how easily this girl saw through him. Try as he might, Levi knew that there were days when his façade showed the cracks of hardship. But he always soldiered on and forged ahead, afraid of what people might think if they caught a glimpse of what he felt through the cracks and chinks in his armour.

The raven wondered just when Petra had become yet another person who had grown to realise that even Levi the solitary could get lonely.

Gunther gave a nod of agreement, clearly not the only one who had been eager to hear news of Eren. It had been an incredible shock to discover that Levi had been seeing anyone, let alone a male. And an attractive one, well that only made the story better! And seeing as Levi was such a solitary being, it was near-impossible to find a situation to chat and snatch up details of his life. No one else had even seen Eren around, let alone been able to talk to the kid, and it surprised the raven to see that so many of his students and colleagues had been interested to know how his budding relationship was working out.

“Well at least promise that you’ll both come back in once Eren’s back?” Petra pushed, staring at Levi with a sternness that reminded the raven of a mother cat watching her litter play as they wandered a little too far from her nest.

The expression was quite endearing. Not that Levi would ever admit that.

The most the raven could manage in response was a nod. Somehow he would make that happen. A promise made to one of his squad was a promise to be kept.

“We were going to invite you both to our housewarming party.” Gunther supplied after Petra remained quiet for a considerable moment.

Levi turned a bemused expression on the dark-haired youth, arching an eyebrow in silent request for further details. He didn’t have to wait long; thankfully his squad knew how to read the petite instructor quite well by now.

“We all just moved into the same place.” Aurou said by means of an explanation when Levi looked momentarily befuddled. “It’s a convenience thing.” The ashen-haired male shrugged.

Levi analysed the off-the-cuff gesture, biting the inside of his cheek to fight back the urge to smirk. It was just like Aurou to always try to play off the fact that he did care about these people. Just like Levi.

Huh…maybe Petra was right when she had mentioned once that Aurou sometimes acted oddly, as if he were attempting to mimic their infamous teacher. The urge to smirk grew as Levi spotted the behaviour now. With the blindingly obvious display, the raven wondered how he had ever missed the signs before. Levi shook his head with a barely-there smile, mentally repeating to himself that imitation was the highest form of flattery. He would have to remember to point it out to Petra later.

“I guess we wanted to know if you’d be coming.” Erd spoke up, giving an easy smile a moment later. “It’s okay if you can’t.”

Levi blinked.

These damned kids. How did they know him so well already? How did they know just what to say to soften the blow? They had expected something to come up, had prepared for it. And Levi could only find himself wanting to praise these four twerps. They were like another Hanji, only in four parts.

What a terrifying thought.

“We’ll see.” The raven-haired man murmured in a low tone.

His chest warmed at the brilliant smiles his students got upon hearing his words.

Those precious, loyal little shits.

“Levi.”

Glancing up, Levi noticed Mike standing in the doorway to his office, watching him from across the room with those ever-observant eyes of his. The enormous man had an odd look on his face, like he had seen something strange. It took Levi a moment to realise that he could feel himself smiling, just a little. It was enough to have Mike looking bemused, not to mention most of the people gathered.

The raven excused himself, bringing a hand up to rub at his cheek as he crossed the room to get to Mike’s office. He hadn’t realised just how much he’d missed this place, these people. He nodded to the blonde giant as he passed, stepping into the little office space and hearing the quiet click of the door being shut.

Footsteps shuffled behind him as the raven took a seat without waiting to be asked.

“Having a rare good day, are we?” Mike’s low voice rumbled, a hint of amusement colouring the tone as he passed to get around his desk.

Levi shifted in the shitty plastic chair in search of a position that vaguely resembled comfortable, schooling his expression into something that he hoped was more neutral before responding.

“I forgot how it can be to actually interact with people who aren’t Hanji.” Came his drawl of a reply.

The blonde man gave a wry smile, his mouth quirking up to one side as a quiet chuckle sounded. Levi couldn’t help it; he gave a quiet huff of a laugh as well. Both males knew how Hanji could get.

“I’m surprised to see you at all.” Mike admitted as he sat as well, sinking into the more comfortable chair behind his desk and instantly leaning forward to steeple his fingers together. “I would have thought you’d have disappeared entirely given the chance.”

Levi gave a snort. The old him would have agreed. Now, though, life seemed less full of inconvenient peoples. Nowadays the negative influences came from a lack of people in his life and that somehow managed to suck in a whole new way.

“I gave that a go.” The raven-haired man muttered, flicking imaginary dust from his forearm with a disinterested sniff. “In the end I got my life invaded by a brat for my troubles.” Levi shrugged. “Figured it was payback of some kind.”

Another wry sound came from the blonde male, amused and dry all at once.

“And how is that going?” Mike asked in a lower voice, leaning forwards a little to ensure that Levi would still be able to hear him. “Things with Eren, I mean?”

The raven-haired man grimaced. He had no express desire to talk about anything relating to the brown-haired brat. Levi might pretend that he was coping, that he was okay with whatever polygamist schemes were going on around him…but if the raven ever stopped to think about it, he knew that he would come to a frightening realisation.

He was not okay.

Levi had never imagined that he would feel so conflicted over a relationship that basically involved a different version of himself. A darker version, reflection, whatever. Eren had told him that they were two sides of the same coin, practically the same being just with different personalities.

But that didn’t mean that Levi was automatically at peace with Eren and Rivaille’s relationship. It did not mean that the raven had made peace with having to share the boy that he loved. Boy…demon…where and when had the lines blurred so much?

“He’s…” Levi began, pausing when his words failed him. The raven sighed, leaning back in the plastic seat, “it’s complicated. We’d both need to be very drunk before I would even consider talking about that.”

Mike gave a single nod, just enough of a movement to communicate his understanding. “Glad to see that you’re still keeping business and pleasure separate.”

Another snort left the raven. “Don’t you know it.” He muttered with a wry smirk.

The blonde male’s mouth curved in a similar fashion. “I do. But speaking of business, how are you finding things now that you’re mostly dealing with work online?”

Finally, a question that Levi could work with. He had to get his thoughts away from Eren or else he might break down.

“Mostly good.” The raven-haired man relaxed somewhat, leaning back in the chair to cross one leg over his knee. “It’s ridiculous how much time it saves being able to talk to all the students who log on to the dojo’s website.”

Mike nodded. “Yes, so I’ve heard. A lot of our regulars have been saying that they’re pleased we finally got you to put up tutorials online. Apparently it’s something that people have been wanting for a while now.”

Levi made a noise of agreement. “The video tutorials were a fucking brilliant idea. I’d keep doing those even if I did come back in to work.”

Something flickered in Mike’s eyes then, a spark that he raven-haired man couldn’t quite identify.

“And will you come back in someday?” The blonde asked after a moment, eyes ever watchful as he waited for Levi to reply.

The raven didn’t have to so much as pause to think about the answer to that question. The words were on his tongue in a heartbeat.

“You couldn’t stop me if you wanted to.” Levi said, his tone almost stern but for the slight quirk to his mouth.

Thankfully Mike had learned how to read this man a long time ago. He smiled, giving a satisfied hum as he stretched.

“Glad to hear it.” The blonde said with a nod, glancing up and out the window behind Levi to the people still chattering away out in the dojo. “Your students have missed you, Levi, and I’ll admit even I’m occasionally nostalgic of you and your toilet humour.”

Grey eyes rolled in a playful fashion. “Har har.”

Mike gave a knowing smirk, cracking his knuckles idly. “I won’t keep you long; I know you’re dying to catch up on the stories that those kids have to tell you.” The blonde man chuckled at the blank stare he was given by the raven in response. “Don’t give me that look, Levi. You can’t fool me with that deadpan stare.”

Dammit, Mike was right.

 

A few minutes later, after some careful discussion about home life and Levi’s briefly-planned notion of moving, the raven left Mike’s office feeling oddly light. He was already striding over to start up a conversation with his students, reluctantly acknowledging to himself that he was eager to hear about their lives and adventures without him around. The raven didn’t make it halfway before Gunther turned around with a phone pressed to his ear, dark eyes latching onto Levi in a matter of moments.

“Do you want anything while we’re ordering?” Gunther asked, raising his voice a little to be heard over the murmur of conversation floating about.

“Hah?” The raven made a confused sound, watching Petra lean over to murmur something to Gunther.

The dark-haired boy smirked a little, shaking his head over at Levi and waving him over. Meanwhile, the twerps wouldn’t tell him so much as a word of explanation for the odd question when Levi reached them. It was only when a familiar figure came stumbling into the dojo that the raven realised what was happening.

A surprise. One that would go both ways, no doubt.

It was Sasha, dressed in her work uniform complete with both shoes and her apron untied. It was haphazard at best, bordering on stupid. Levi couldn’t have stopped himself from rolling his eyes if he’d tried.

The brunette was carrying so many cups of coffee in shitty cardboard trays that Levi wondered how the fuck she had made it all the way there without having an accident. And then the girl looked up.

“Mr. Levi!” Sasha cried, almost dropping her armload of coffee orders in her excitement.

A single hand was raised in acknowledgement of the girl’s presence, but the raven-haired man was already two third of the way across the room to take some of those damned trays from Sasha before she dropped them. The brunette babbled as she handed over several trays, too caught up in her surprise to bother telling Levi that she could handle the balancing act by herself.

Petra popped up beside the raven, leaning around him to smile at Sasha.

“Just a heads up, if you want to hug Mr. Usually Grumpy and live, then now is the only time to do that.”

And with that, Petra snagged one of the trays and scampered off to where Erd, Gunther and Aurou were waiting, all of them snickering.

Those little shits.

Meanwhile Sasha looked like she was about to have a panic attack.

“H-Huh?” The brunette managed, bemused.

Several other people swept past to snag their coffee, leaving Sasha’s arms empty save for the empty cardboard trays.

Nanaba followed after Nifa and Mike, sending the raven a wink of encouragement as she passed.

Levi gave a scoff of a laugh, rolling his eyes as he set the trays in his hands down onto the floor by his feet.

Apparently everyone here wanted him to hug this girl. Why bother denying them their fun?

“She’s right.” He muttered, straightening. “I’ve already had half the damned dojo all over me today, what’s one more set of arms?”

Sasha stared on with a comically owlish expression as the raven-haired sourpuss held out his arms expectantly, waiting. The stance somehow managed to make the petite male look comical and intimidating all at once. After a moment’s hesitation, the brown-haired girl darted forward to steal her hug before leaping back and away, watching Levi warily like he was some rare and dangerous animal.

“That was…weird.” Sasha stated after a moment of cautious silence. “And awesome.”

The raven-haired man chuckled at that, as did most of the people in the dojo.

Weird but awesome – a thoroughly apt description of the day’s events.

Nevertheless, Levi was walking home in high spirits. The raven had never expected to see so many people. He had almost forgotten how his old routine had gone. Work, lunchbreak, work, coffee, home, dinner, sleep. That had been the deal. And then it had been torn to shreds by an overeager brat. Levi couldn’t help but smile at that. He had gotten to work through a few exercises with his squad, pleased with how they were progressing even without his presence at the dojo. Pride washed over the raven, pride for his clever students. His little family of fighters.

Levi felt lighter than he had in a long time…Christ knew how long it had been since he had been able to shed that worried feeling that something would happen to Eren, to him. Always there was that fear that something or someone would come along and fuck everything up…and there wouldn’t be a single thing that Levi could do about it. It was an irrational fear, but one that plagued the raven most days. He wanted Eren to be safe. He wanted Eren here by his side where no other demons could harm him. Fuck, even human beings could be a danger to that boy given the right means. Nowhere was safe, but at least Eren would be safer with Levi than he would be with Rivaille.

But Eren would not stay. Levi knew it. The kid had his dream, had done since the beginning. Eren dreamed of greater power and a new rule for Hell. The demon boy had confessed that he had only come to Levi’s world to hide out for a while, to lay low while troubled brewed over back home. That had always been the deal.

How could Levi have forgotten? Eren had always planned to go back. He wanted to fight. He wanted war. That was what the demon had always wanted. It was what he dreamed of.

Levi dreamed of a calm and quiet life away from the excitement of demons and darkness. Well…maybe he wouldn’t mind just one demon staying with him. But would Eren ever be able to settle for such a dull life? Levi didn’t want to think about that. He knew that he had to…he had to face the reality of his situation.

Just what would be returning to him from Hell? Eren? The Eren that he knew and loved? Or some owned creature, some broken thing who wanted nothing and no one except its mate?

Would Eren even return to explain if something like that happened?

By the time Levi got back to Hanji’s place, his mood was about as sour as the expression twisting his features. Hanji didn’t say a thing when she saw him, opting instead to sit in silence for a good long moment. Levi sat in the living room, watching as the brunette took a seat there as well, on the sofa opposite the armchair he was occupying.

It took a while, but eventually Hanji spoke up.

“So I’ve been wondering…” the sentence trailed off though and Levi was forced to look up.

“Hn?” He prompted.

Hanji was smiling, at least, when he glanced up. The expression was friendly but wary, mindful of the raven’s bad mood and short temper. Still, it didn’t stop Hanji from talking. Few things ever did.

“Are you permanently moved in here now?” The bespectacled woman said at last, sending a cheeky grin in Levi’s direction. “Or will you eventually go back to that flat of yours? Not that I’m complaining, but-”

“Hanji, if you want to kick me out that’s fine.” Levi murmured, meeting the brunette’s eyes across the room. “It’s your house. You and Moblit deserve some privacy.”

“Whoa there, Mr. Depressing.” Hanji said, holding her hands up and raising her eyebrows at the dark-haired man. “I’m not worried about that.”

“Then what?”

Hanji gave a sighed, sending Levi an understanding smile. “I’m worried about you and Eren having some privacy when he comes back.”

The brunette knew that Levi and Eren would have plenty of things to discuss when the demon boy finally returned from Hell. While Hanji might have been curious, agonisingly curious, to hear what they would talk about, she recognised that it was not her place to pry. This was a sensitive situation, an unfavourable one as well.

Thankfully Levi spoke up before she could worry too much over what it was that she should say next.

“I’m not here because I want to encroach on your life.” The raven muttered, running a hand over his face with a weary sigh. “I’m here because your company is the perfect distraction from every morbid little thought that’s trying to swallow me whole.”

Hanji wanted to smile. She wanted to smile and crack a joke, to get Levi to snort and sass her back. Maybe then everything would go back to normal. But Levi looked so lost. There hadn’t been such a hopeless look in those grey eyes since the last time someone had left Levi behind.

The brunette’s thoughts soured but she forced her features into a soft smile. Eren would come back. She’d met the kid and, demon or not, he didn’t seem like the type to abandon somebody. Especially not somebody like Levi. It would have been hard enough to get close to the raven as it was, giving up on somebody after spending so much time gaining their trust seemed pointless.

Eren would come back, Hanji was certain of it. But until he returned, it was her job to keep Levi from breaking down.

“You’ll pull through this, Levi.” The brunette said.

She waited for gunmetal eyes to look at her, watching the grey orbs flick up briefly.

“Heh.” The raven’s head dropped to loll between his shoulders and he ruffled his own hair. “You think so?”

Hanji hated seeing her usually spirited friend in such a disheartened state. All of that vicious snark and sass was gone, replaced with this oddly thoughtful, gloomy creature. The brunette didn’t like it. Levi was supposed to be the sourpuss, not the sulker. Those were two very different levels of doom and gloom. Now Levi was all gloom and no doom.

“I’ve seen you deal with some heavy shit.” The bespectacled woman stated, leaning back into the sofa with a knowing look. “Eren will be back and you’ll never know he was gone. I’m sure you two will be back to bickering in no time.”

A bitter chuckle sounded, but the raven did not bother to lift his head.

“We’ll see.” Came the dry rasp of a response.

Hanji gave a wry hum in response, shaking her head at the raven-haired man. Throughout all the years that they had known each other, the brunette would never have expected her friend to get so worked up over a boy. A demon, no less. One day, long after all this misery had passed, Hanji would relentlessly tease her friend about this.

But for now…perhaps some sage advice would be better suited to the situation?

“You really should stop and think about all of this.” The brunette said, smiling fondly over at her friend when he looked up.

Levi was far too good at avoiding problems. Or the other option, namely: identifying the source of his problems and punching them in the face. Neither option was particularly beneficial, but they hadn’t gotten the raven in too much trouble yet. Until now.

Levi let out a rasping groan and Hanji was at least pleased that the man could acknowledge that he wasn’t dealing with his problems.

“I know.” The raven muttered, tilting his head back with a hiss.

“Putting it off won’t help.”

“Christ, I know. Okay?”

Quiet descended for a moment as Hanji let the other man breathe for a bit. He needed to remain calm. Getting worked up any more than he already was would only make his problems seem worse.

After a moment and only after she was certain that Levi wouldn’t bite her head off for asking, Hanji piped up with a new question.

“How are you really feeling about all this?”

Levi let out a long sigh as he considered the brunette’s words. The real problem, Levi identified abruptly, was that he didn’t know how to feel. If this were any normal situation, the raven would have found out whoever Eren had been in a supposed relationship with, apologised profusely to them and then try to work something out. And the teal-eyed brat would be going through the lecture of his life when he got back.

But this wasn’t any normal situation. Levi wasn’t sure what demon law consisted of. They probably didn’t have any laws at all. But even this must be insulting on some level? How could Rivaille stand for it? To have such a fickle mate?

This whole bonding lark must have really been something.

But he was neglecting the question.

Grey eyes drifted up to meet Hanji’s understanding gaze. She was ready to listen, as always, and for once in his life Levi actually felt like talking.

“Lost.”

Even if only a little. But that was alright; Hanji didn’t need a lot of conversation to get a read on people. There was a reason why she was Levi’s best friend. The brunette smiled, the knowing expression on her face shifting to something lighter and Levi knew that she would change the subject even before the woman spoke. He silently thanked her.

“Will Eren be home soon?”

The question still lingered in dangerous territory, but the raven-haired man felt that he could at least answer this one without wanting to rip his hair out.

“Who knows?” Levi said with a sigh. “I hope so.”

Hanji nodded, letting another brief moment of quiet engulf them.

“Well…” the brunette began after that moment had passed, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back into the sofa, “I don’t know if this will cheer you up or make you mad…”

Her tone had Levi’s head raising up in an instant, suspicion swimming in his sharp eyes.

“What?” Came the reply, clipped and biting even before he knew what the bespectacled woman had done.

Hanji winced, glancing away.

“Promise you won’t kill me?” She asked, hopeful.

Levi blinked once, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. “Just fucking spit it out.”

The woman took a quick breath and then all of the words fell out of her mouth at once.

“Well I was thinking about you and Eren, and how you’ll need your own space, and then I thought about that tiny ass flat of yours. And then…I might have gone and bought you that house. The one you were looking at.”

Hanji paused, risking a glance up and over at her friend. The brunette was met with silence and a rather eerie serene look decorating the raven’s face. Eventually (after very little time at all, really) the pressure became too much and Hanji began babbling again.

“Don’t punch me; I only paid for the house itself! Just the house, I swear! Nothing more, nothing less. You can even ask the real estate people if you don’t believe me! You can deal with all the furniture and whatever, I just wanted you and Eren to have a place of your own! Don’t chase me!”

More silence.

Hanji, who had curled herself into a ball of tangled limbs, promptly disentangled herself enough to look over at the raven. He wasn’t moving, wasn’t even blinking.

“Levi..?” The brunette asked, her voice small. “Are you going to attack me? Should I run?”

After a long, tense moment…Levi laughed. Just a single, harsh bark of laughter. But at least he wasn’t shouting. Or worse.

The raven shook his head, looking up with a wry grin.

“Thank you.”

Hanji blinked, her eyes growing owlishly wide. “Eh?”

Levi shook his head again, rubbing a hand against the side of his face as though the feeling of his own smile was foreign to him.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.” The grey-eyed male muttered, but he sounded amused.

Which was exactly why Hanji nearly fell off of the sofa.

“ _EH?!_ _Did you just say thank you?!_ Holy shit! Quick, let me get my camera!”

“Don’t spoil the fucking moment, shit for brains.”

The brunette cackled. “And the real Levi joins us again!”

“Har har.”

Levi wanted to be angry with Hanji. Buying a whole damned house? It didn’t even matter that Levi was her best friend, that was insane! Who buys a whole house for their friend? But the longer the raven sat there, the more he realised that he would never be able to be upset with Hanji for this. He would pay her back somehow, no matter what she said. But for now…he needed this. They, he and Eren, needed this. No way was Levi going to talk through half the shit they needed to discuss in front of anyone else. And to have a new place…at the very least it could provide the illusion of a fresh start.

Speaking of fresh starts, Eren would need clothes when he got back. And a toothbrush. Fuck knows what grimy shit that twerp had been up to while he was away.

“You okay, Lever?”

Glancing up and breaking free of his thoughts, Levi nodded.

“I’ll be fine. Probably.” The raven muttered, reaching up to run a hand over his face with a longsuffering sigh. “I’d better go get some stuff from the flat.”

Hanji raised an eyebrow at him. “You sure?”

The raven hadn’t been back to the flat since Eren had left. But Levi was already standing up, brushing imaginary dust from his pants. He seemed eager enough to be on the move, or at the very least keen to be doing something.

“Yeah.” Levi nodded, his features darkening for a moment. “Who knows what the kid’s been through. I’m sure he’d appreciate some clothes, anything familiar will probably help.”

“That bad?” Hanji asked, sounding sympathetic.

Levi gave a snort, shooting the brunette a dry look. “Apparently Hell is kind of traumatic.” He muttered, raising an eyebrow. “Who would have known?”

The bespectacled woman rolled her eyes playfully, grinning over at the raven. “Okay, har har. Do you want me to come with?”

He shook his head no. “I won’t be too long. I just want to check on the place, grab a few things. I’ll be back within an hour or so.”

“Alright, dumpling. I’ll get dinner started.”

 

Levi gave an absent wave to Hanji as he stepped into a cab, resisting the urge to roll his eyes as his friend waved back almost violently from the porch. He gave the driver his address and sat back, staring out the window at the vast array of colours that he supposed were buildings and people. The raven’s eyes were too blurry to tell.

He refused to let himself cry. There was no immediate reason for tears to be acceptable, so the raven blinked back the stinging wetness with a huff, pleased that the driver was too busy making a turn to notice that his passenger was snivelling.

The apartment complex came into view and Levi felt like sighing. The sight was still so familiar; it felt like he had never left. The only difference was that there was no brat to accompany him home this time. Hopefully that would change soon. Levi didn’t let himself dwell on that thought too long. He paid the driver, stepping out of the cab and looking up at the complex as the car drove away. It took a moment before Levi could get his feet moving again but eventually he found himself on the stairwell.

Up and up he went, feeling the journey as though it were far longer and far more taxing on his body without a lively demon twerp to distract him.

Finally he reached his floor, padding along to his flat and glancing up. Levi froze.

The door was already open.

“What the hell?” Levi said to himself, the words barely a whisper.

The raven knew that he had locked the apartment when he’d last left. That door should have been locked shut. And yet a dark void was there to welcome Levi instead of a fastened lock. Padding closer, the raven peered around and into the darkness that yawned beyond. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he could, in fact, make out the vague shapes of objects and furniture within the gloom. For a moment he had feared that his flat was filled with some unearthly darkness, as though perhaps another of Eren’s pals had decided to pay him a visit. It wouldn’t have been the first time.

Although…a scuffed mark on the doorframe had the raven’s grey eyes slitting in suspicion. Levi knew for certain that no demon had broken into his flat; they had no need for violence when they had magic to aid them.

So then…a human burglar? Probably no more than a petty thief, Levi suspected. Well they could have at least had the decency to close the damned door before they left.

Unless…they hadn’t left.

It was a cautious Levi that crept into his own apartment like a thief, checking to make sure that he was alone before reaching for the light switch. Gunmetal eyes grew wide as he took in the state of the flat.

The apartment was a mess. Not just a little bit untidy. No. The place had, quite literally, been ransacked. It looked like some FBI raid, or the result of one. Cutlery was scattered over the floor, along with several of the draws from the kitchen. Why the heck would anybody toss drawers about? Those inconsiderate fucks! Moving further into the apartment, Levi growled under his breath at the mess of clothes that had been tossed out of the bedroom. Everything was in shambled, as though the thief had been searching for treasure like their life had depended on it. Drawers were pulled out, their contents strewn around the flat. The wardrobe in the bedroom had been moved away from the wall, emptied, and clothes were lying in piles on the carpet. Every last bit of furniture seemed to have been moved, as if it could have hidden any secrets at all.

Levi ground his teeth in irritation, feeling his pockets and snarling quietly when he realised that he hadn’t brought his phone. There was little chance that the thief was still about, so the raven spared barely a thought before marching back out into the flat to find the telephone attached to the wall. He had barely used the thing, but it would come in handy now. He intended to ring Hanji and inform the woman about this bullshit. He snatched up the phone, pressing it against his ear and reaching to stab out Hanji’s number into the pad on the wall.

He stiffened, listening to the unsettling silence that met his ears as he pressed the number keys. Nothing. Not a peep. Had there been a power outage? Or…

…or had someone cut the landline?

Levi swallowed thickly, hanging up the phone and stepping cautiously out into the kitchen. What was going on? Had he really been robbed? What had the robbers taken? From the looks of it, everything was still in the flat…it was just all on the floor.

Odd. Why would anyone break in just to mess everything up?

Levi froze as a tiny noise caught his attention. The quietest shift of fabric sounded, just behind the raven to the left. By the door, it sounded like. Fuck. Mind racing ahead before he could properly assess the situation, Levi twisted. He threw himself to the right and against the wall, catching movement in his periphery as a figure, who had been behind him, lunged. Levi’s assailant was big and not quick enough to turn and catch the raven. They missed by a mile, stumbling off into the apartment.

Scrambling for the other wall, Levi slammed his fist against the light switch, plunging the apartment into darkness. Darkness was his best friend at that point and Levi thought he might just be able to get away if the flat was pitched back into gloom. His assailant would need time to recover to the dark after the bright lighting, and Levi was closer to the door.

The smaller man turned on his heel, ready to bolt for it, when a curse sounded and the raven froze, recognising the voice.

Levi swallowed. It couldn’t be. He turned, peering back into the gloom with a feeling of dread rising in his gut. It was a slow, shaking hand that reached for the switch again, illuminating the flat once more. Grey eyes landed on the figure sprawled on the floor, getting themselves up already, and Levi felt his throat close.

“Erwin?” He managed to rasp, feeling numb, like lead.

Dressed in dark clothes, as though they were meant to help him play the part as robber, Erwin looked so very different from the polished man that Levi had known so well.

Or at least he had thought that he’d known the man. Levi barely recognised this person invading his home. What had happened to him? Why was Erwin in his flat? Why had he tried to tackle him? All these questions and more swarmed about in the raven’s head like wasps, agitated and ready to strike out at a moment’s notice. But there were too many thoughts for anyone to take charge and so Levi was left standing in the doorway to his flat with a look of incredulity on his face.

The blonde giant of a man coughed, getting to his feet and shaking himself, dazed a little from the fall.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

Levi was shocked when he realised that the voice in his ears was his own. He had spoken and yet the raven hadn’t even felt his mouth move. But the words got Erwin’s attention and Levi froze up when icy blue orbs locked onto him. Those eyes were a little unfocused, dizzy after tripping and a heavy landing, but Levi remained wary regardless. Even a dazed Erwin could be dangerous.

“Levi,” the blonde said the name with just the slightest drawl, shaking his head like a dog to clear it. The big man groaned, rubbing at his temple, “where's Eren?”

“Not here.” The raven answered quickly, watching the larger man with a sharp stare.

He was close enough to the door to bolt at a moment’s notice and every part of the smaller man told him to flee. But he wanted to know what the fuck Erwin was doing. What did he want Eren for? Was this all some part of his weird accusation about Levi being a demon? Was he here to cause trouble? There were too many questions and not enough answers for the raven’s liking, and that uncertainty was what prompted the man to stay even as his instincts yelled for him to run.

Erwin’s eyes fixed on the raven again, a little clearer now as the man stopped swaying. “Where is he?”

Levi swallowed, wetting his lips with an anxious flick of his tongue. No matter what Erwin might think that he knew, Levi could not give him any answers that would compromise Eren. They might still be able to find a way around this whole mess. If he could just skirt around these questions…

“Why do you need to know?” The raven rasped after a moment.

He just had to keep stalling until he could find out what Erwin wanted. As soon as he knew that, Levi planned to dash for the stairs, tear over to Hanji’s and then the both of them were getting the fuck out of there. Moblit too. Levi would keep them all safe from this man if he had to.

“Don’t play coy with me now.” Erwin’s voice rumbled low and Levi suppressed a shiver. He couldn’t let his anxiety show. “I know that he’s not human.” The blonde went on. “What I don’t know is why you bothered harbouring him, but it doesn’t matter. If you give him up now, we can take care of the rest.”

Take care of the rest? We? Who the fuck was ‘we’?

Levi didn’t like a single word that was coming out of Erwin’s mouth. They all spelled trouble anyway.

“Take care of what?” The raven asked, feeling an odd urge to laugh in this man’s face. “What are you going to do to him?” What could any human possibly do against Eren? He might have been a brat, but he was a powerful brat. Suddenly Levi felt bold, something flashing in his eyes as he took a daring step forward. “Send him back to Hell?”

Levi scoffed at the thought.

Erwin looked taken aback, as though he had expected Levi to withhold any and all details about Eren. Instead the raven was taunting him. It was peculiar. But Levi’s honesty prompted Erwin to return that honesty with a few facts himself.

“Nothing as easy as that.” The blonde murmured, edging to the side a little. “We’re going to exorcise him.”

Levi felt a flicker of fear light up his spine but he suppressed the urge to shudder. Eren? Exorcised? No. It couldn’t happen. Levi would never let that happen.

“Good luck with that.” The raven spat, bearing his teeth momentarily.

The alarming display did little to deter Erwin, though, and the man kept talking in that stupidly calm vice of his.

“I won't lie to you.” The blonde started, the words making Levi scoff. “I told my superiors about him. They want Eren to be brought in.” Erwin’s expression shifted for the first time since Levi had identified him that afternoon. The man looked…concerned. “He's a monster, Levi. A nightmare in human form.”

A boiling surge of emotion bubbled up within the raven in seconds and he was growling out a threat even before his mind had identified what he was feeling.

“You fucking touch a hair on his head and I'll show you a fucking nightmare, you piece of shit!”

Anger, protectiveness. Erwin wanted to hurt Eren. He wanted to send Eren to Hell permanently. Or worse…they might just decide to kill the poor kid altogether.

Erwin tried to reason with the smaller man. “Levi-”

“You think I don’t know what he is?” The raven cut him off with a hiss. “I might not have known _what_ he was exactly but I knew he was no saint. A demon, I can handle. It’s all the bullshit that comes attached that makes me lose it. Lying, fucking cheating. Let me tell you, it feels just as shitty on the other side. So maybe I understand what you felt when you chased after Nile. Maybe I get that it’s hard on both parties. But Eren. Never. Abandoned me.”

“Then why are you alone?”

“You don’t get it. He left, yes. But he promised to come back. And you know what? I fucking believe him. And do you know what he hasn’t done? He’s never left without saying goodbye and having every intention of coming back to me.”

Erwin didn’t flinch, but his eyes said enough. Levi’s words affected him more than he would ever show. Levi didn’t care. He didn’t give a flying fuck about this man, not when he threatened to take Eren away before they had gotten a chance to talk. Before they had gotten a chance to figure this whole mess out.

“He’s dangerous, Levi.” The blonde spoke up, determined as always to make the raven see reason.

“You’re damned right he is.” Levi snapped. “He’ll be a danger to your life once he hears about this bullshit.”

“He’s a demon, Levi.” Erwin murmured, sounding sad for the raven. “Demons don’t play rescuer, they save their own skin.”

 “Like you would know.” Levi sneered, his words coming out vicious. “I have three words that promise he’ll always come back. Even if it hurts him. Eren’s a stubborn, determined little fucker. But he’s my stubborn, determined little fucker. You won’t touch him. Now get the fuck out!”

Erwin stood there like his whole world was shattering, crumbling to pieces around him in the light of Levi’s realisation. Of course Eren would come back to him. Even if it was just to take back those three words that promised love and tenderness and eternity…Eren would come back.

And Levi would wait for him.

The raven realised that Erwin wasn’t moving. He snarled under his breath, watching the blonde look up with an oddly blank expression.

“I can't.” The big man murmured. “Leave, I mean.”

Levi growled. “You will.”

Sighing, Erwin shook out his arms. “You misunderstand.” A pause. “I'm not only here for Eren.”

As the blonde’s words sank in, a frightening chill shot through the raven-haired man. Levi had never gotten so cold so fast.

The blonde man stooped, picking up one of the knocked-over chairs by his feet.

The raven turned tail and bolted, not stupid enough to stick around for the fight. He had the door in his sight, close enough to almost reach the frame. Only there was a quiet whoosh of air and something hard connected with the backs of his knees.

Levi went down as he was thrown off balance, cracking his head against the door frame as he fell. The raven landed on the floor in a groaning heap, forcing his shaky limbs to move through the pain. He had to move, had to get up and get away. The stairs weren’t all that far away. Through the pain and the shock, Levi managed to look at what had struck him.

The chair. Erwin had thrown the fucking chair.

“You...scumbag.” Levi rasped, pushing up onto his hands and knees.

His head spun, throbbing with a horrible pain. Fuck. Thick arms were around him then and Levi knew that he was screwed. He tried to thrash, tried to kick and topple them. It didn’t work; his movements were too sluggish. Hauled into the air with an effortless ease, Levi tried to fight back but his head was spinning, his feet weren't even touching the ground.

A damp rag was pressed over his nose, his mouth, and grey eyes widened as the stench of chloroform registered in his mind moments before the raven slumped, unconscious in Erwin's vice-like grip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mwahaha...ha..? I'm sorry. Don't kill me please!  
> And, if you're not too mad, feedback would be appreciated! ^_^  
> I love you all! Forgive the cliffhanger! <3  
> P.S. I'm writing skits with a friend tomorrow and I have to work Sunday >:( so expect the next chapter to arrive hopefully in three to four days (if we're lucky :p)


	51. Aftershock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over. 300 000 words. HOLY FUCK NUGGETS O_O MILESTONE!  
> Dis bish is finally finished T_T about. friggin. time.  
> Anyways, here's chapter 51, late as usual and un-beta'd cos I suck but there you have it. But wait...wait...what's that..? 9000+ words? (only just :p) FUCKING FINALLY, AUTHOR-CHAN!  
> I'm sorry or you're welcome, idk.  
> Enjoy!

“…it’s peaceful in the deep Cathedral where you cannot breathe, no need to pray, no need to speak, now I am under all…” – Florence + The Machine, Never Let Me Go.

***

 

What day was it? Eren couldn’t remember. Everything felt fuzzy, both his body and mind included, and the brunet planned on not moving ever again if he could help it. He knew that was an awful plan the moment the thought passed through his mind, though.

Eren stretched, his limbs aching in protest. How long had he been asleep, he wondered? Long enough for a new kind of hunger to awaken in his body. Unholy Hell, when was the last time he had eaten? At least the hunger pangs were better than waking up with the single-minded need to fuck. Thank goodness for that. Eren didn’t know if he could handle any more sex in the immediate future and his stomach gave an unruly grumble as if it were personally offended with him. The brunet rubbed a hand over his protesting belly like the action could soothe his hunger away and Eren lifted his head to blink drowsily about in search of his mate.

The dark-haired demon was still dozing but he shifted closer with a soft growl when Eren moved about too much. Settling down again, the younger demon resigned himself to the task of waiting it out until Rivaille was conscious again. He could only hope that the older demon was also recovered somewhat.

At the very least, the demon boy’s body was beginning to register pain again. The discomfort was irritating, but Eren was glad to feel it. The aching in his body meant that he and Rivaille would be free from their instincts. Eren found that he could think straight again but the need to be close to his mate remained for now. That, he anticipated, would take significantly longer to recover from.

In his sleepy, only-just-woken haze, the brunet allowed himself to think back over the many days that had passed him and Rivaille by. He wasn’t sure exactly how many days it had been since he had arrived…time was all muddled when he thought back.

Eren had lost himself to the high of being overwhelmed by Rivaille’s blood as it mixed and merged with his own. That high was only elevated by the ecstasy of being mated, of being tied to the creature that had been made for him. The brunet lost whole days in his memory thanks to that high. Eren could remember every last, exquisite detail of their couplings, but any sense of time was blurred. It could have been a day since their first mating. It could have been three days or even more. Eren did not know. He did not care.

The best part was that Rivaille fared no better. He was just as dazed, just as needy, clinging to the brunet even when unconsciousness took him from time to time. For once they were perfect equals.

Both males had writhed together, blind to everything except for their immediate need to be close. Consumed by vicious passion, any and all thoughts of the outside world were gone from their minds for days after the pair’s first coupling. The first mating was always the most intense experience since every sensation was heightened and new. More couplings followed in between naps and bouts of blacking out. Even demons could become exhausted enough to faint, although it took extremes such as this to get such a rarity to occur.

The brunet took a rare moment of consciousness to memorise the peaceful look on Rivaille’s face when he passed out yet again. The wraith’s body went slack, even his features smoothed out. Eren had never seen his mate look so calm. He cherished the expression, knowing that the raven would probably never look this way again. Eren committed the image to memory, intending to share that memory with Rivaille later and tease him relentlessly for it.

With a start, Eren realised that he would be able to get away with such behaviour now. Rivaille wouldn’t be able to kill him now, no matter how hard he tried. Even better, the wraith wouldn’t even want to harm his mate now that they were bonded. Although…there was no telling whether Rivaille would ever let the younger demon leave now that he had finally gotten him bedded and mated.

They would just have to cross that bridge when they came to it. More like jump that bridge with fire on his heels, Eren thought with a sigh.

 

_One last, tired coupling signalled the end of the ritual and Eren let his head loll low and heavy as Rivaille rocked into him from behind. They were both panting, but from exertion rather than arousal._

_Eren huffed out a breath, grimacing a little. He could feel the pressure of Rivaille’s hands, one on his hip and the other rubbing his nape to soothe the tired brunet, to coax through one last time, one last round before they could pass out. Eren wondered how many times they had done it by now? He would probably know when his body began to ache but until then the younger demon let himself relish the numbing effect of Rivaille’s body sliding against his._

_Head hanging between his shoulders, Eren mumbled a few words in his half-delirious state._

_“I’m glad I’m not a chick.” Came the boy’s low murmur._

_Rivaille slowed his already slow pace, not stopping entirely as he leaned closer to plant a kiss to the brunet’s nape._

_“Yeah?” He slurred out a response, licking at the sheen of sweat along the boy’s shoulder blades._

_Eren didn’t sound happy and Rivaille didn’t like that but he was already buried to the hilt in his little mate, arms around the trembling demon boy. There wasn’t much more he could do to cheer up the brunet. Rivaille licked at Eren’s ear to console him._

_“Yeah.” Eren confirmed. He leaned into the caress of the raven’s tongue, unable to help himself, swallowing thickly and wetting his lips with a slow drag of his tongue. “I mean…can you imagine the fucked up, mutant spawn we’d have?”_

_The older demon jolted a little at the boy’s words, the thought alone starting up a rumbling purr deep in the raven’s chest. He glanced down at the back of Eren’s head, shifting so that he could nuzzle the side of his mate’s face._

_Eren gave a cheeky snicker, turning his head to the side to raise an eyebrow at Rivaille._

_“Ooh?” Came the brunet’s teasing tone. “Liking that idea, are we? I bet you can picture the little tykes and all?”_

_The younger demon’s teasing did not succeed in driving the imagery of tiny demon brats from the wraith’s mind. Rivaille’s chuckle came slow and deep in his throat, the sound as weary as his movements._

_“I can, actually.” The older demon murmured and Eren could hear the slight smile in his voice._

_The pair chuckled together at that, but Eren couldn’t help but notice that Rivaille’s ministrations turned oddly tender after that. Eren couldn’t hold himself up for long, collapsing in a heap and a mutter of self-directed derision. Rivaille didn’t seem to mind and they reached completion this way, already-sluggish movements stilling altogether._

_Rivaille heaved a sigh, stretching to place one last, fond lick to the skin behind his young mate’s ear._

_“Hey…Eren..?” The raven murmured through a yawn._

_One teal eye opened, aiming a lazy stare at the older demon. “Hn..?”_

_“…maybe we can adopt?”_

_Eren gave a snort, smiling like the loon he was while they settled to sleep._

 

Time passed, one of the quicker rotations pulling the days along. Eren didn't remember how their first nest had become spread so far around the room but he vaguely recalled the nest that he-no, wait... _they_ had built together out of the remaining blankets, sheets and cushions within arm’s reach. The brunet recalled gathering blankets in the gloom, moving on sluggish limbs and fighting against the stubborn ache in his gut. Cushions were herded together, materials pushed and prodded into an acceptable mound. The softness of the blankets and even one of Rivaille’s velvet carpet rolls was wrapped snugly around the pair of mates, encompassing them in a little island of comfort. Eren lay curled in the blanket burrow with Rivaille curved protectively against his back, dark tail wrapped around the brunet’s middle. The raven would wake at the slightest movement, sniffing to make sure that his mate was okay before drifting back into exhausted sleep. And that was about all they did for a whole day, as far as Eren’s memory could tell him. They had rested, trying not to move at all if possible while their sore bodies recovered. After the initial craze and need to mate had passed, the pair spent days wrapped up in each other’s limbs, dozing after the days of strain on their bodies.

Eren was halfway between sleep and consciousness when he felt Rivaille cleaning him, licking blood away with a soft tongue. The bath was unexpected and distracted the boy from his sleep, but Eren couldn’t find it in himself to complain. He let himself be cleaned, shifting when Rivaille nudged him. The gentle grooming was so relaxing that the demon boy finally filtered into unconsciousness again.

 

“Oh fuck me…” Eren groaned.

“I don’t think I could if I tried.” The raven whimpered from where he was slumped in a heap of blankets, his words muffled by the material.

The brunet gave a humourless snort.

“It was a figure of speech.”

A pause.

“I see.”

Sanity returned to the two mates slowly and, with it, came the aching of their bodies.

Eren’s arms refused to move without causing him more grief than the action was worth. His limbs were heavy and felt like the veins within were filled with lead instead of blood. The brunet’s lower back ached in a steady, throbbing rhythm that even Rivaille’s ginger licking could not soothe, although the raven tried his best. The raven’s own form hurt, his arms and legs stiff from disuse after all the sleeping. His skin felt tighter than it should but Rivaille attributed that to the fact that he was made differently now that his blood and Eren’s had fused.

Bite marks began to sting as they healed, leaving fine trails of steam rising up from the wounds like wisps of smoke as they curled towards the ceiling. In particular, the initial claiming marks bore the worst of the stinging; the skin prickled and burned as it repaired itself. The urge to scratch at the offended flesh was unbearable and Rivaille had to pin a whining Eren to keep the boy from scratching at his throat while his skin itched and healed over. The dark-haired demon crooned low in his throat to ease the younger male’s distress, licking around the healing mark so that Eren could at least have some kind of pressure there to alleviate some of the urge to scratch. Eventually the closeness and the warmth of Rivaille’s skin on his calmed Eren enough for him to relax in the older demon’s arms.

The pain faded as the hours passed and soon their discomfort dulled until it was nothing unbearable, just the steady ache of fatigue. It was nothing that a lot of sleep couldn’t cure. And sleep they did.

Eren and Rivaille’s life had devolved into dozing, snoozing and waking, checking on each other before slumping back down into the softness of the blankets all around them. The room was warm and dark and everything that the two mates needed to remain in their state of almost-hibernation. Napping like a pair of lazy lions, Eren and Rivaille enjoyed their dozing just as much as the moments of sluggish consciousness which were ultimately spent entangled with each other. Lying there, skin to skin, brought with it a sense of security that eased Eren through the hours that stretched into days. It had to have been over a week by now, he just knew it, but the contentment of being held and snuggled up with his mate was enough to push most concerns from his mind. Rivaille seemed to be comforted just as much by the proximity, soothed by every kiss, every lick and brush of skin. Just holding each other brought comfort. Rivaille licked behind Eren’s ears and nibbled along the boy’s jawline whenever they were both conscious at the same time. Eren ran clumsy touches along the raven’s arms and sides, feeling along each ridge of Rivaille’s ribs and the grooves that outline his abdominal muscles, making sure to keep his touch at light as possible so as not to offend any sore skin. More often than not, the mutual touching was purely a comfort.

And then there was the discomfort. That same aching that had driven the two males to mate now kept them close together. More than pain, it was a rush of panic, of distress whenever there was too much distance between two mates. The feeling only came when one of the pair began to wander and it didn’t take very long at all for both Eren and Rivaille to learn that they. Moving more than a few arms lengths away from each other caused a deep, aching pain to bloom within the two demons’ bodies and a frenzied panic to rise in their chests. They weren’t ready to part yet, their bond pulling up hurt to deter the two males from separating. This was learned quickly and Rivaille made sure to hold Eren close so that they wouldn’t drift apart while sleeping. Neither male wanted to be roused in agony.

Yet another rule to add to their new life.

 

A day passed, another day to add to the blur of accumulating days that had already come and gone, and with it the pain of being apart ebbed. It was only a gradual ease in discomfort but it was steady, fading until the two mates could quite happily roam about the room in their sleepy states. Eren was recovering well, with drowsiness being the main element left for him to overcome. Another day or two or rest would probably solve that problem, Rivaille thought.

The boy’s bites were healed well, with only a few of the deeper ones leaving behind pink scars. The flesh was left tender and still a little itchy, but not so much that the brunet was distressed by it anymore. Rivaille was thankful for that; if Eren was calm then it was far easier for the raven to be calm as well. He lifted one of the brunet’s arms gingerly, silver eyes raking over the trio of bite marks on the boy’s side. From the looks of the pink lines of skin there, those bites would probably scar over as well. Rivaille was purring before he realised it, but it was no surprise that he would be pleased by the thought of his little mate covered in marks of claim. Tracing a thumb around the tender pink lines of one scar, Rivaille thought that the vulnerable skin would no doubt toughen and pale to silver in time. Eren’s claiming mark was still bruised, although the colour was fading gradually. The mark on Rivaille’s throat was healing at about the same rate. There would be no use trying to use magic to hasten their healing time, this was a process that was meant to take time. Mates were meant to be close in the closing days of their recovery as their bond was still new and fragile. All the downtime was meant to bring mates closer together.

Rivaille couldn’t argue that it wasn’t working. All he wanted to do was coddle the demon brat rolling around in their nest. But nevertheless, they would need to find some food soon.

Neither male had eaten anything since the brief meal before Eren had discovered that the castle had been full of guests, and even then it had been the brunet to eat then. Thankfully demons could survive for quite a while during the fusion stage of bloodshare, but Rivaille knew that eventually one or both of them would need to hunt. They were creatures that were built for survival, but after such a taxing experience even demons required their energy to be replenished. Eren’s stomach was beginning to make some truly alarming noises and the raven-haired demon worried about where he might find suitable sustenance for his mate.

Finally, and after much debate, Rivaille decided to take a brief wander around the castle. The chances of finding anything that could be eaten were scarce, but the older demon was willing to have a look. If there was anything edible around this place, he would bring it straight to Eren. The raven knew that there had been plenty of food in the main hall at the start of the celebration…but now could be a completely different story.

Rivaille felt an uneasy tug in his core as he moved further away from the nest and his precious Eren, but it was nothing unbearable so the raven pushed on. Their bond seemed to have relaxed at last, letting Rivaille move around more freely. Even this far out into the castle all he felt was an anxious pressure in his gut, whereas days ago he could barely move a few inches from his mate’s side. It was quite an improvement and Rivaille took this as a good sign. They were well on the way to recovery. A little food would do both demons the world of good, if he could just find some.

Rivaille found himself scowling more and more with every room that came under his scrutiny. The wraith hadn’t been able to get a decent look at the rooms before sealing the ritual to see what scale of clean-up would be required after the sizeable gathering of their kin. Now that he and Eren weren’t drunk on instinct and the high of bloodshare, the raven could get an idea of how trashed the place was.

Trashed was probably an exaggeration but things _were_ out of place. How annoying. Still, that could be fixed later.

Most of the rooms were in acceptable order, with only the larger rooms in dire need of tidying. Thankfully the raven didn’t stumble across any blood or other bodily fluids on his quick perusal of the space. He was pleased with that – at least all of his guests had been respectful of his and Eren’s engagements and not destroyed the place.

A thorough search brought no food, however, and Rivaille tuned at last to head back to Eren. He wasn’t looking forward to delivering bad news to his still-recovering mate, but at least Eren could wait within the safety of the castle while Rivaille went out to hunt for them. Maybe he could even make a trek out to the soul pits and capture a few before they took proper form? Souls didn’t taste so bad before they took on demonic forms and fresh souls would be perfect for helping them to recover. Rivaille was even sure he knew where to find one of the old flasks to carry souls back in. The metal was made from silver, much to his disdain, but all the raven would have to do to enchant the container would be to stain it in demon’s blood. A simple ritual, but it would require more than a few drops. Rivaille sighed; he would have to make a stop or two on the way to the soul pits to properly complete the ritual. One or two heads would roll by the time the evening was through.

Evening…that was right. The light was dimming as the boiling red sun dipped behind the mountains that lined the horizon like the spiny ridges of a dragon’s back, and it was the perfect time for a creature of the night to go hunting. Even if all Rivaille was after were a few defenceless souls, it would be easier to slip away from the castle without drawing attention if he left while the sky was darkening.

Striding back to the room where Eren was waiting, Rivaille got the sudden, unshakable feeling that something was wrong. That anxiousness in his gut grew stronger, just a fraction stronger but enough to be noticeable, and he rounded the next corner a little quicker. His ears strained, listening for any sounds out of the ordinary, but the only noise he could detect was…a harsh panting.

“Eren.”

Rivaille darted through the halls in a blur, tearing into the room where their nest was hidden away.

The sight that met the wraith’s eyes was astonishing. Not a single thing was out of place, except for the stricken demon boy writhing in the middle of the floor.

Eren lay curled in on himself, gasping for breath. He had pushed himself as far into the blankets of their nest as he could manage, drawing in the scent of them in an effort to calm himself. It was an effort that was going to waste, demonstrated by the panic written across his features. The boy looked agonised; his eyes squeezed shut as he held his middle tightly like he might fall apart if he let go for even a moment. A soft sound falling from parted lips, barely audible and yet full of pained yearning. It was a sound that pulled Rivaille to the boy like some sort of hook, a sensation that wrenched him closer to gather the brunet up in his arms. Eren’s eyes were wide and glossy when they opened, lean arms seeking Rivaille’s shoulders and clinging desperately while the raven shushed him and tried not to panic himself.

Rivaille could only stare owlishly at his stricken mate as he rocked the boy, pulling the sobbing demon close.

Ten minutes. That’s all the time he had been gone.

Only ten minutes away from each other and this was the result? Rivaille had only felt uneasy, paranoid that something would happen to his mate. That must have been how this bond would affect him then…heightened protectiveness. The urge to keep Eren safe. And every moment away from the brunet had been a worry.

But Eren was panting; he was sweating and crying like he wasn’t whole without Rivaille around. It was heartbreaking to watch.

The raven kissed the boy to distract him, pulling Eren against his chest as he did so. Rivaille gripped his young mate tight, letting the brunet lean against him and cling with needy limbs. Eren’s tail was wrapped tightly around his own ribs, a clear sign that the demon boy was distressed, and Rivaille snaked his arm under the boy’s arms. He replaced the pressure of Eren’s tail with a tighter pressure, giving his mate the comfort he needed. Chest heaving with breath that the brunet did not need, Eren latched onto Rivaille with no intention of letting him go. The raven didn’t mind. Not one bit. He started to croon a low, rumbling sound in the hopes that it would help to calm his little mate, letting the vibrations pass through him into Eren’s body. When the younger demon’s mouth sought his, Rivaille accepted the offering of pink lips, parted and needy against his mouth. Whatever Eren wanted would be his in this moment, consequences be damned. Eren needed food. Rivaille also required some form of sustenance. But right now Eren needed to know that he was safe. So Rivaille would make him feel safe.

Scooting back, Rivaille wrapped them both in the blankets of their nest, folding them away into the far corner of the room and never once letting go of the younger demon’s mouth. He kissed Eren slowly, letting the brunet’s mouth work against his desperately and swallowing the needy whimpers and sobs that crawled free of his mate’s throat. One strong hand rubbed firmly up and down the boy’s side as they remained huddled there and Rivaille continued that motion until Eren began to calm again. The panic began to fade from his scent and Eren’s movements slowed. His limbs grew sluggish, gasping breaths easing to a more relaxed rhythm as the brunet found contentment in Rivaille’s arms.

The raven was relieved…for all of about ten seconds.

What in the ever-loving fuck had just happened? He had thought that the bond had been easing off, allowing them more freedom. Why was Eren affected so strongly by this? Rivaille supposed that it could have been because Eren was the one who had submitted. He had given over his control to Rivaille and therefore placed his trust in the raven to keep him safe and cared for during and after their mating.

And then Rivaille had been a fucking moron and left him. Genius move right there. The raven chastised himself fiercely, fighting back the urge to growl. It wouldn’t do to worry Eren now and make him stir so soon after calming him. But the older demon would need to be careful about how he handled this situation. If Eren’s instincts were relying on Rivaille’s presence in order to give the brunet a sense of security…then this whole mess was going to be trickier than the raven had intended.

The wraith was still pondering how in the world he was going to get food to his mate when he felt Eren go slack in his arms.

His little mate was asleep. Rivaille chewed on the inside of his cheek, feeling guilty for the thought that presented itself. He didn’t want to leave Eren…but if they didn’t get something to restore their energy soon then they wouldn’t recover at all. That meant one thing…Rivaille had to go hunting.

And he had to leave Eren to do it.

The raven hated himself for it, but to ease his own conscience, Rivaille placed a simple enchantment over the boy. He drugged him with magic intended to make one slip into a deep slumber and the raven did not leave until he was certain that Eren was under the effects of the spell.

Rivaille had never moved so fast in his existence. He tore through the castle, snatched up the silver flask by the leather of the harness that it was attached to. This was the only safe way to carry the silver container, or else risk burning his hand. And Rivaille needed both of his hands to kill a demon or two in order to make bloodstained silver, or else he would not be able to bring back souls for Eren. It was a simple but costly magic, taking both time and lives to create the dark magic that would contain souls for transport, but Rivaille knew that this was a risk worth taking.

And so he stole away into the beginning of night with a promise to himself, and to Eren, that he would be back before even the very first lights of dawn.

 

Rivaille made it back even before dawn was drawing near.

No less than five hours later, an exhausted Rivaille arrived back to his castle to immediately realise that there was an intruder. He instantly recognised the scent, too.

It had taken him no less than an hour to locate the nearest of his kin and leave them barely alive in a ditch. He had taken as much blood as he needed to soak the silver in, leaving it in the black liquid for fifteen minutes before his instincts began to grow too riled for him to sit idle any longer. Taking the dripping silver flask by the harness, Rivaille had rushed straight to the soul pits. It had taken him an hour travelling as fast as he could to reach the caverns where souls spilled forth and gathered in great, stone hollows. The hollows glowed with blue and white light, the light from all the accumulated spirits there, and Rivaille spent over an hour fishing out the strongest souls he could find and trapping them within the bloodstained silver of the flask. He knew that he could fit many souls within such a container and the raven stayed as long as he could bear hovering above the pits, disturbing the souls beneath with the steady beating of his great wings.

But eventually his gut began to throb with the beginnings of a familiar ache and Rivaille realised in panic that Eren must have woken. The poor lamb was aching and calling for him and Rivaille knew that it would be hours before he got back to hold his little mate. The knowledge only fuelled him to turn tail and head back and he did exactly that. It was slower travelling with the weight of souls to carry but the raven pushed himself to go faster and faster until he practically collapsed at the bridge that arced over the lava moat around his castle.

He had barely had a few seconds to rest when the scent of another demon reached his nose. Thin lips pulled back into a snarl and the wraith took off as rapidly as he could manage.

Rivaille caught sight of her form before he could see Eren and a blinding rage rose in his chest so fast that the wraith’s eyes shone white for the briefest of moments. Family or not, she should know better than to come anywhere near this place until Eren was himself again.

“ _Mikasa!_ ” Rivaille roared, crashing straight into the ravenette’s form as he barrelled into the room where Eren should be waiting.

His eyes started searching for the brunet even before he had successfully managed to tackle Mikasa to the ground, relief and worry lighting him up inside when he spotted Eren huddling in their nest.

The blankets swath him in warmth and hide most of his body, much to Rivaille’s relief. But that was where his relief ended. There was agony etched into that boyish face and Rivaille felt like his insides were being crushed by a giant, invisible hand at the sight.

The ravenette twisted with a hiss and she clawed at him, trying to get those talons of hers in his flesh.

Snippets of shouted words filtered through the raven’s mind as he evaded Mikasa’s attacks just enough to avoid injury.

“-left him, you inconsiderate fuck-”

“-could you do this to him? He’s only just been mated-”

“-think I’m going to let my brother stay with you after you’ve abandoned him for your own sick amusement-”

A deadly growl left the raven’s throat at the accusation. So…Mikasa believed that he had left Eren on purpose? Rivaille would never do that to his mate unless there was a reason, and a dire reason at that. And it just so happened that there had been a dire reason: Eren needed food. They both had, and since the wraith had had his fill at the soul pits while gathering sustenance for Eren, that left only the brunet to be fed.

But Mikasa was making that task very difficult.

Rivaille tried to focus on the fight, managing to dodge blows but too distracted to bother planning any attacks of his own. He had to force back the instinct to go to Eren, to look for him. That plan proved itself moot very quickly.

Eren let out a shrill wail, voicing his distress, and Rivaille evaporated from within Mikasa’s grasp only to reappear beside the crying boy. He couldn’t commit to a fight, not when Eren was in pain and calling for him to help.

The brunet could barely move, his body shaking and his teeth chattering as though he were deathly cold even though his skin was warm to the touch when Rivaille swept damp hair out of Eren’s eyes. Those eyes blinked up at him, wide and desolate and lost, and Rivaille jolted as his abdomen cramped up. Apologies fell from the raven’s mouth in a heartbeat as he stroked the demon boy’s skin, flushed and sweating as it was, and when all Eren could manage to get out of his throat was a murmur of “h-hurts” Rivaille was sure he felt his heart tear down the middle like it was made of fragile cardboard in the hands of a clumsy toddler.

“I know, baby, I’m sorry.” He hissed in a breath, keeping his tone gentle. “Fuck…I’m so sorry, little one. Come here.”

This was his fault, there was no escaping that, and he had to calm the weeping brunet before he could tend to him further.

Rivaille gathered the wailing demon in his arms, rocking the boy as he buried his nose in chocolate hair. The soft locks tickled his face in the sweetest way but Eren’s shuddering and broken sobs took away any and all chance of enjoying the moment. Rivaille laid the brunet down, guiding him gently onto his back to cover the younger demon with his body. It wasn’t much but the warmth and presence of another body, along with the smell of mate, would hopefully calm the boy’s instincts…eventually. The blankets and safety of the nest would help, but who knew how long Eren had been awake, conscious and without his mate. Another demon had waltzed right into their home and Rivaille had been nowhere near to protect the boy, even if their visitor was Eren’s wretched, adopted excuse of a sister.

Her presence in their nest wasn’t helping, either, but the raven shielded Eren’s eyes so that he wouldn’t be able to see the intruder and hoped that she didn’t try to sabotage his efforts with her scent.

The ravenette clearly wanted to talk to her brother, maybe even with Rivaille, but all the wraith wanted to do was tear her head off and feed it to his mate. But now wasn’t the time for reprimand or violence. All Rivaille needed to focus on was Eren.

Poor, sweet, hurting Eren.

Even with the weight of another body against his, the brunet was shaking. His whole body shook with the force of the shudders. The tremors were so violent that Rivaille’s instincts surged with worry. He crooned gently, soothing his mate with the vibrations, and let his scent flood the room. Mikasa’s presence be damned; Eren needed to smell that his mate was close by. Those pretty teal eyes were fixed on Rivaille, the beautiful orbs glassy and rimmed with red from all the crying he had been doing. But at least the boy could see that he was there, Rivaille was there and would protect him.

After a few moments the shudders eased a little to something more akin to shivering. Some of the tension rolled from his shoulders but the brunet remained tense for the most part. Rivaille continued to hold the demon boy, to stroke his face with his tail and reassure the younger male. As if by some miracle of the universe, the raven’s attentions seemed to be working.

Eren started to purr through his fading sobs, sending his own, much softer vibrations back to Rivaille in response to his mate’s crooning, and the brunet tried to reach for the raven. His arms still trembled too much for him to even be able to hold onto his mate and that only made the young demon cry louder. Fresh tears streamed down Eren’s face in silver trails and Rivaille’s chest seized up painfully.

The wraith discovered that he hated it when Eren cried. He hated it more than he hated silver, more than he hated humans and their trivial rituals, and more than he hated how much he had changed since first arriving in this fiery pit. Those pretty eyes should never weep, and Rivaille closed the space between their faces to remove those tears. His hands were busy holding the distressed demon, so Rivaille licked the salty evidence of grief off of flushed cheeks, kissing away even more.

A hand moved down to rub and press against Eren’s stomach and Rivaille started to realise that his instincts recognised the source of his mate’s pain even before his mind caught up. The terrible pain was centred in Eren’s gut, just as the anxiousness made its home there for Rivaille. So the older demon pulled Eren from the floor, sitting up as he did so and tugging the blubbering brunet into his lap. Eren’s legs managed to pull themselves sluggishly on either side of the raven’s legs which had folded beneath Rivaille, and the older demon held his mate flush against him. This was how they had rid themselves of the bonding pain before, by being as close as possible. With the sources of their discomfort aligned and pressed close, Rivaille almost cried himself when Eren stopped sobbing abruptly.

The raven didn’t dare pull back even a little, not confident enough to even risk a glance to check whether or not his mate was coming out of his distressed state. But then a set of arms moved to curl around his shoulders, squeezing tight enough that Rivaille wasn’t sure if Eren was happy to see him or trying to punish him for leaving. Probably both.

When Eren’s distress had quietened down to sniffles and hiccups, Rivaille eased back just enough to reach for the flask beside them. The brunet made a soft sound when the container was presented to him. Rivaille curled his fingers around the opening once the cap was removed, creating a tunnel with his fingers for Eren to drink through so that the younger demon would not have to touch his lips to the silver. That soft mouth met cool fingers and Eren waited, obediently still, while his mate tipped the flask a little. A flavour like lightning hit the brunet’s tongue and he relaxed his throat eagerly, accepting what he recognised to be souls into his body. The flask was tilted up further and further for the boy to feed on the spirits that poured forth; Rivaille didn’t so much as wince or glance at the steam rising from his hand until Eren had consumed every last bit of the flask’s contents.

The silver was tossed away the moment Eren was done and Rivaille welcomed the brunet that slumped against his chest. Done crying now that mate was so close, Eren started to purr in earnest. A pink tongue crept out to lick at the raven’s injured hand where it was cradled against Rivaille’s sternum and the wraith sat in surprise as Eren licked his wounds for him. He could smell the sickly sweet tang of venom in the air, electric like following a fresh scent trail, and the pain in his hand lessened. Wounds caused by silver weren’t so easy to heal and usually took several days to recover, but with Eren’s venom seeping into the flesh at least the area would be numb for a time.

Not all demons were venomous and the trait is far rarer than one might expect.

At least, since they were mates now, Eren’s venom wouldn’t harm him. Not like it could damage another demon, or even a human. Well…demon’s venom didn’t so much harm a human as it did change them. Sometimes, if done correctly, a venomous bite would lead to a human becoming a demon without having to be reborn in the soul pits of Hell, where the majority of demons are born. Of course those demons that are born from venom become tied to their masters and would only live for as long as their sire lived. And sometimes…more often than not…a bite would simply kill a human, or in rare cases drive them insane.

To one’s mate, however, venom could be used as a healing and numbing salve. Although Rivaille would never have imagined that his little mate would think to use his abilities in such a way. The tenderness behind the action all but melted through the raven’s heart, dormant no longer.

This bonding instinct really did work wonders, like some kind of hellish miracle. The raven had not anticipated that they would need to spend so much time together but in truth he could not have been happier. Even if it meant that he neglected taking in new work, he would gladly give up all that excitement to spend days wrapped up with his little mate.

The fact that Eren was still here after their ritual had ended was baffling enough. Rivaille had been certain that Eren would have been out the door the moment he had a chance, having made it no secret that he wanted to return to the living world. Instead the boy couldn’t make it out of the same room as Rivaille without collapsing and calling for him. It was as endearing as it was worrying.

But none of that mattered. Rivaille would stay with Eren for as long as he needed. And he would relish every moment of it.

 

Over in the doorway, Mikasa stood with a blank expression on her face for the sole reason that she had no idea what other expression she should be wearing in the face of such a situation. Her sworn rival and hated enemy was in the room but so was her brother. Her brother…who just so happened to be wrapped up in the arms of her enemy, purring as he was crooned to by the once violence-crazed wraith. And then along came her brother, too good for his own good, demon nature be damned, and suddenly Rivaille the terrible, the assassin, the most feared demon from here to Schloss Jӓger, was rendered harmless as a kitten. And all because of a bratty excuse of a demon.

Mikasa was certain that it had been the eyes that Rivaille had fallen for. No one could resist those eyes. No human and no demon, either. Not if Eren tried hard enough to win you over.

Only had hadn’t tried to win Rivaille over. And that was what left the ravenette reeling. She had rushed here the moment that she had found Armin crying. The blonde had wailed of his fears that their friend would die during the ritual of bloodshare, and there was only one reason why Eren would be partaking in a bloodshare ritual. He was letting Rivaille mate him.

Mikasa had arrived too late to stop it, however. When she had arrived her brother was a shaking mess, yowling for his mate loud enough that his voice could be heard even outside the castle walls. It had been that plaintive cry that had drawn Mikasa inside the wraith’s territory without a thought for her own safety. All that mattered was Eren’s safety.

But now…the ravenette was beginning to see that her concerns were unnecessary. Rivaille tended to her brother like a mother to a child, eyes never leaving the boy for a moment. Not even to regard one of his enemies. And he was smiling…this odd, honest little smile like Eren held his whole world in sparkling eyes.

Mikasa wanted to roll her eyes, but she couldn’t tear them away from the lovey little scene playing out in the far corner.

Could she really believe that her brother would be safe here? Mikasa didn’t want to believe it, she wanted to beat Rivaille down, cut off his wings and whisk Eren away from this place. Although, after witnessing the scene that had just unfolded, the demon girl found it difficult to convince herself that Eren would be in any less pain with her and Armin and the rest of the resistance.

Mostly importantly, though, was the fact that Rivaille had attacked her…and then given up the fight in an instant just to answer the call of his mate. He wouldn’t fake that sort of thing. No, the wraith had far too much pride for that. The most shocking evidence had been watching the raven willing grasp silver just to spare Eren from having to touch it. The Rivaille that Mikasa knew would never do something like that. The Rivaille that Mikasa knew had taken her family and almost her life from her. Now he threatened to take her brother as well…and the universe was on his side. But with those facts taken into consideration…that meant that Rivaille’s concern could only be genuine.

What the fuck was she supposed to do with that information? How could she fight against the will of all the energy in the cosmos?

Glancing up and over at her brother, Mikasa couldn’t lie to herself. She wasn’t meant to battle the will of the universe. That was the answer that had evaded her all these wretched years.

Looking at the pair of males, Mikasa could see that Eren was content in the arms that held him. He held no humiliation for lying skin to skin with his fated one. There was no fear in him…not a single shred. For fuck’s sake, Eren was willingly allowing Rivaille to lull him to sleep. There was a familiarity between the two demons under her scrutiny…a comfort that Mikasa was reluctant to admit was fitting of two recently mated demons. They were close and comfortable with being so intimately near one another. And maybe that was okay…but the ravenette would not leave without being absolutely sure.

An idea formed in the demon girl’s mind and she half-turned to go. The movement caught Rivaille’s attention and the smaller demon hushed his sleepy mate with a few gentle murmurs before leaving his side with no small amount of reluctance. But he knew that Mikasa wished to speak with him and the sooner he indulged her, the sooner she would leave them alone.

The coal-eyed demon gave a nod of acknowledgement to the wraith as he drew near. Rivaille looked…weary. For the first time, Mikasa felt like she could see every last year of the two millennia that the raven had spent here. He looked beyond tired but for a fleeting moment all that the ravenette could think about was what it could have been like, two thousand years ago…

In the end, Mikasa found it better not to ask questions that she didn’t need the answers to.

“I shall take my leave now.” She informed the raven.

Rivaille crossed his arms, putting himself between Mikasa and his mate. “I think that would be for the best.” He murmured and there was only a little sarcasm in his words as he continued. “Do come visit once Eren’s more settled.”

Mikasa knew that the invitation was not just offered to spurn her; Rivaille truly would not deny his mate the right to have guests should he so desire. Eren would obviously wish to be able to interact with his adopted sister. The ravenette did roll her eyes at the delivery, shooting the raven an unimpressed look before settling her eerily-focused gaze on the night wraith.

Rivaille recognised the seriousness to that gaze and he stood a little straighter when the girl leaned close to murmur to him.

Mikasa’s mouth was right by the raven’s ear when she spoke, her voice barely a whisper and yet full of knives all the same.

“Swear that you will take care of him.” She ordered.

Rivaille admired her bravery even though the challenge in her tone had him bristling.

“I couldn’t hurt him now if I wanted to.” The words came out of him unbidden but they were the truth and so Rivaille carried on. “Don’t fret over such matters.”

The ravenette arched an incredulous eyebrow at the wraith. “And you don’t want to hurt him?”

It had happened before and Rivaille knew that, but it didn’t stop him from scoffing his derision.

“What a stupid question.” He muttered, voice low but expression soft as he looked back over to where Eren was trying to rest in their nest.

The boy was trembling again but only slightly and Rivaille let go of a deep sigh that probably would have hurt had it come out of a mortal’s lungs.

“In truth…” he began, pausing while images filtered through his mind of a time that he had long-since lost. Rivaille sighed again, giving in, “I want to build him a cottage in the forests of the living world and coddle him until time itself stops giving a shit.” He said. “I want to build him a garden the size of this whole fucking mess of stone that passes for a castle and watch him laze about in the rays of a sun that won’t try to burn him into nothingness. I want to spend the rest of my existence spoiling the ever-loving shit out of that cheeky little fucker.”

Mikasa bit back a shocked expression that threatened to flicker out across her features. “And what if someone else wants to hurt him?”

Silver eyes swivelled around to look at her sidelong and Rivaille’s mouth shifted into a smile that was somehow wry and threatening in the same instance.

“Well that someone won’t exist for very long once I find out.” He promised, voice nothing more than a rustled whisper.

Mikasa didn’t nod, didn’t agree or utter a single word, but Rivaille could practically hear her thought of ‘good answer’. He shot her a dry smirk, even as his insides twisted, instincts trying to call him back to Eren.

“Don’t worry.” He said again. “I’ll take care of your precious baby brother for you.”

The ravenette couldn’t fathom why she believed those words…and yet she did. But, of course, she couldn’t leave without laying down a nice little threat for her old rival.

“See to it that you do.” Mikasa drawled in that frightening monotone of hers, fixing Rivaille with a soul-piercing stare. “For if _any_ harm comes to him…by your hand or another’s…there will be no place in this universe where I will not hunt you.”

Rivaille stared right back at the ravenette, his lips curving into a wicked grin at her words. The Cheshire smile had too many teeth, all of them pointed, and the wraith’s eyes flashed at the challenge Mikasa presented him with.

“I promise you a slow death,” the demon girl continued, looking down at him like she had just granted him some great honour, “…one that someone of your character should relish either way.”

Rivaille cocked his head, grin easing from his features as his eyes slid back over to steal a glance at his dozing mate. The glance stretched on into a stare and the wraith couldn’t even feel guilty for it.

“Just the way I like it.” The raven retorted a little late, but there was no bite to his words.

Rivaille was too distracted, it would seem, by the doe-eyed demon boy huddled in the corner of the room. The brunet was beginning to rouse, already calling soft sounds meant for his mate, and the ravenette knew that it was time for her to depart.

Mikasa turned on her heel when a smile threatened to curve her lips and she called a parting farewell to Rivaille and her brother.

Maybe…just maybe…there was a chance that Eren hadn’t been given a terrible, reckless mate. Maybe the universe knew exactly what the fuck it was doing when it had paired the brunet together with the volatile ball of passion and power that was Rivaille. And maybe there was a chance that being mated to such a possessive, dangerous creature was exactly the best thing for Eren.

For once in her so far miserable existence…Mikasa allowed herself to hope that her reckless, occasionally idiotic brother was exactly where he was meant to be.

 

 

Torches were lit one by one as a large figure paced carefully about the darkened space. The figure, a priest, went about setting up more torches. They were an essential element of the procedure to come. It only helped that they provided much needed light to boot. The flames spread a gradual light, throwing shadows as well as illuminating the gloom. Stacks of crates became visible, the boxes piled high all around, and in the middle of the large space was an area that had been cleared of stock. Several tarps lay on the dusty ground, their use not currently needed. The whole building was deserted, except for the figure still striding about lighting candles and one other person.

The only other individual occupying the area sat slumped in a metal chair over by the far perimeter of light, with the back of the chair only about an inch away from a high stack of boxes. A nearby torch cast soft light over the angular face, features slack due to the fact that the man was currently unconscious.

Simpering across the now lit space, the priest allowed himself to acknowledge that his…guest…looked quite serene as he was, without all that worry creasing his brow. It would be a shame when he eventually woke. That was when the questioning would have to begin.

Large fingers combed blonde hair out of the way, smoothing the locks back into their proper place while the big man sighed. He wasn’t looking forward to interrogating this man, his old friend and childhood sweetheart. Or at least that was hour Erwin remembered it. Levi seemed to think differently nowadays, and the blonde wondered if it had anything to do with his new demon friend. It would be easy for such a creature to take advantage of a grieving man, altering his memories and turning him against Erwin.

If at all possible, Erwin wanted to free Levi from that demon’s grasp. It wouldn’t be an easy feat, but he was determined. Even if it broke the little man, he would do it. Better a broken Levi than an enslaved Levi.

Erwin heaved a longsuffering sigh, closing his eyes for only a moment before he was scanning the area once more. There was no knowing when his little trap would take effect and cage him the beast that he had been so fervently seeking these past few weeks. Soon, though, that fiend would have to take the bait.

And so it became a waiting game. Erwin took a seat on one of the crates that he had taken down. It was uncomfortable but that was just what he wanted. Comfort would promote sleep and that was the last thing that the blonde needed right now. He had to stay alert and keep his eyes peeled for any threats until his interrogation could begin.

The lights flickered, trailing the priest’s eyes all over the space while he waited, patient enough to sit and think until his prisoner awoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah...so that didn't carry on from last chapter (except for that trollish ending :p) and you all probably hate me a little bit for it. I understand. I know.  
> But yay Mikasa! Kinda. And maybe an understanding between the two raven-haired badasses? Who knows? I'm sure they'll find something to bitch over :p  
> Enough rambling. I'll try to write more of 52 tomorrow (or, as I like to refer to it, later today T_T) I'M SO FRIGGIN' KEEN FOR NEXT CHAPTER, YO!! XD
> 
> Comments/feedback would be greatly appreciated <3  
> P.S. I f*cking love you all, by the way, and thank you for your patience. I don't deserve it but thanks all the same! xoxo


	52. Stranger To Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty sure this is as good as this chapter is going to get. Un-beta'd, as usual, cos I'm lame and have no time.  
> This chapter is kind of weird with the POV. It's a mix of Erwin and Levi and I don't know if the POV cuts actually worked, so whoever is thinking their thoughts just go with it.  
> Enjoy!

Dust, crisp in his nose, was the first thing that Levi registered as his mind swam towards consciousness. The next thing to make itself known was smoke, only a light hint of it in their air but enough for the raven to know that somewhere around here there was a fire. His head hurt with a dull throbbing that made the raven crave a glass of water. Maybe a few glasses of water.

Opening his eyes proved useless for a few moments, only making him feel dizzy. His vision blurred and Levi wondered how long he had been out. Blinking a few times helped and after a moment the raven was able to make out shapes and flickering light. Levi inhaled the dust and smoke air, wondering if the yellowish light was coming from some sort of big-ass candle. That would explain the gentle aroma of smoke. From his slouched position, Levi couldn’t see all that much. His head had dipped against his chest during the time that he was unconscious but the raven could feel the unyielding caress of metal around his wrists and feet, no doubt binding him to whatever he was sitting on. He was uncomfortable, his neck had a kink in it and most of his body felt numb from disuse.

Raising his head to take a better look around proved to be more of an effort than it had any right to be and Levi suspected that the lethargy was caused by more than just the fact that he had only just woken up. He dreaded to think of what drugs Erwin might have administered while he was out.

Erwin…that miserable, slimy mother fucker! Levi wanted to shout and curse the man’s name but a scuffing noise had the raven holding his breath. His ears strained to hear anything more and, after a few seconds that stretched out longer than they should have thanks to the awful quiet, eventually the noise came again.

Footsteps crunched discretely on concrete, alerting the raven to the fact that he was not alone. Wherever he was, there was at least one other person around. Considering that he was bound to a chair in a creepy-ass room, Levi assumed that whoever was prowling about was not an ally. At least he knew that this person had to be human; no demon would ever be so obvious in their movement. From the sound of things, his captor was walking the perimeter. Smart. But they were close, which meant that Levi probably had about thirty seconds before he would be able to lay eyes on whoever was prowling around. He counted down the seconds in his head, making all the way to twenty five before a figure emerged from the gloom.

Levi wasn’t even a bit surprised to see that it was Erwin. He had been the one to bring him in, why would Erwin give up the right to question or interrogate or whatever the hell he planned to do?

The blonde strolled into the light without bothering to check on his prisoner, heading over to a chair that sat across the floor just towards the edge of the torch circle. For the first time Levi noticed the bedroll and backpack set up across the room from him. Behind the chair there was where Erwin seemed to be keeping the majority of his provisions. They had to have been there for more than a single day, in that case. Or…if that was not the case, then Erwin at least planned to keep them there for a while. Why else would he have stacks of canned food and water bottles?

Something was off and after a few seconds Levi figured out what it was, around about the same time he noticed that there was a pair of blue eyes staring at him.

Erwin’s features had been void of any particular expression, but they shifted into a smile when grey eyes met his gaze.

“Awake at last, are we?” The man’s deep voice reached Levi even across the space that separated them.

Levi grimaced. Of all the things to have happened, the raven could safely say that he would never have expected Erwin to stoop to this. He was always so calm, collected, and full of plans and schemes. There had never been a moment where Erwin wasn’t in control and Levi never would have pinned him to turn into the crazy ex.

“Not in a talkative mood?” The blonde man asked.

His smile turned fond at the continued silent treatment and filthy glare, like the raven’s behaviour was one of the most endearing things the blonde had ever seen. After a brief staring match, Erwin broke eye contact to chuckle. The sound was forlorn and nostalgic in all the ways Levi never wanted to remember.

“I know it would be improper to say that it’s good to see you.” The blonde murmured, smiling faintly at the ground before glancing up.

He stood, but only to collect the chair next to him. He scooped it up with ease in one massive paw, walking until he was only a few metres away from the raven. Levi watched Erwin seat himself, meeting the raven’s gaze again.

“I’m awfully sorry about this, you know.” He murmured.

Levi arched a brow, feeling his upper lip forming the beginnings of a sneer. He knew the look in those blue eyes, the way they softened like Erwin wanted to reach out and trace his jaw, to relearn the familiar lines and angles of his face.

“Yeah, that’s the message I’m getting here.” Levi ground the words out against the bitter clench of his own jaw, wanting to snap and hiss like some rabid animal in his anger. Instead his tone was quiet, like ice. “You’re really fucking sorry, aren’t you.”

He couldn’t even form a question; his voice was stuck in the same ice and gravel lull, quiet and deadly. If Eren could hear him now, even he might have shivered at the tone. Not Erwin, though. No. Because even with all of his cunning, Erwin Smith had always been too thick to be afraid of Levi. He’d change his mind if the raven ever got him pegged in a fair fight. Not that Levi fought fair when his opponent was a certified _asshole_.

Of all things, Erwin frowned, like Levi’s words had actually affected him. What bullshit. The façade was twice as insulting.

“Don’t be like that.” The big man murmured, glancing down at an angle that made Levi feel like Erwin wanted to put a hand on his knee. He resisted, as Erwin found it easy to do in most situations. “I wouldn’t have brought you into this if it weren’t necessary.”

Doubtful. Erwin didn’t like letting go, even though he made choices that pulled him away from his friends, from pretty much everyone, just to advance his own plans.

“Bullshit.” The raven muttered, the word leaving his mouth quickly, short and clipped.

“It’s the truth, Levi.” Erwin’s tone shifted, turning to something stern that reminded Levi of their old high school teachers. He must have looked vaguely amused because the blonde shot him a disapproving look before continuing. “All we wanted was Eren but you wouldn’t cooperate.”

Gunmetal eyes seemed dark from where they glared up from underneath inky fringe, making the look Levi was giving seem nothing short of murderous.

“You thought I was a fucking demon to start with.” He reminded the blonde, arching a slender eyebrow. “What a thorough cockup that was.”

Blue eyes hid behind their lids for a moment as Erwin let out a sigh. “I’ll admit that wasn’t one of my finer moments,” he admitted with a nod, bringing a hand up and digging a thumb and forefinger into his sockets in a rare display of weariness, “but in my defence all of the signs were there.”

“Maybe you’ve been looking at the wrong sorts of signs.” Levi sneered, teeth glinting as they were bared. “Does every person with antisocial tendencies end up categorized as a demon by your people?”

Erwin let out a vaguely amused sound, dropping his hand into his lap and opening his eyes a moment later.

“No.” He muttered, looking like he almost wanted to roll his eyes at the raven’s stubborn snark. “There’s a lot of research that goes into potential candidates.” Erwin seemed to catch himself talking about work, his eyes widening a fraction before he offered that classic, closed-off smile. “But you don’t need to hear any of that.”

Grey eyes narrowed but Levi resigned himself not to snap. He didn’t want to know what sort of twisted research bullshit Erwin and his people, whoever the fuck they were, had done on him. Whatever details they had, he didn’t care to know.

He doubted that Erwin would tell him anyway and that was probably for the best.

Speaking of Erwin, he was leaning back again to sit in his chair, looking every bit like an employer readying himself to give an interview.

“I’m going to ask you some questions.” The blonde began.

He planted his feet close together, clasping his hands over his lap. It really didn’t help the interview imagery floating around in the pool of sass that was Levi’s brain.

“It would be in your best interest to answer at least a few of them.” Erwin watched the scowl on Levi’s face shift into something even more hateful if that was even possible. “Let’s start, shall we?”

Levi resigned himself to the task of sitting there and listening to whatever nonsense came out of Erwin’s mouth. He couldn’t move more than to shuffle in his binds and those wouldn’t be easily escaped from. No, in fact Levi suspected that the only way he was going to get out of this damned chair would be through a combination of a key and a third party effort.

So he sat and scowled, waiting for the first question.

“How much do you know about demons?” Erwin asked after a gloriously cliché moment of staring Levi down like he could intimidate the answers out of him.

It was a bit of a broad question, but a predictable one nonetheless. If Levi really thought about it, all the things that he did know about demons weren’t exceedingly useful. They were only things that he had learned from Eren and he’d never had a reason to want to hurt the kid. Levi knew quite a few things though…he knew that demons didn’t like to be startled and that it was a gigantic mistake to try grabbing their tails or otherwise taking them by surprise. An alarmed demon is a dangerous demon. Levi knew about the bouts of intense hunger and the instincts that told Eren to hunt and kill and feed, but he also knew that Eren had resisted those instincts every damned day that he had remained by Levi’s side. He knew that Eren was very sensitive to touch, pleased whenever he got to touch Levi in any little way.

There were other things, like how harmful silver and fire could be, that could pose a risk to any and all demonic beings. Levi was sure that Erwin’s people would know about the silver…and probably the fire also. They seemed to be concerned solely with learning information that would help them harm demons and Levi couldn’t really blame them. Most of the creatures from Hell would go on killing sprees the second they arrived in a world full of weak and tasty morsels. Eren had admitted to eating humans himself. Levi had met the kid when he was tooth-deep in a guy. And they had had _sex_ since then. Jesus fuck, what was wrong with him?

Levi knew that Eren liked him because he was messed up, an odd little human unlike most of the other moving snacks out there on the street. Eren chased him because he had run, he had indulged in a little game of chase that changed into something far more complicated than tag. Eren had chased him down, gotten close, and now there was no letting go no matter how much pain either of them went through. Because Eren knew Levi…knew him to his bones.

And Levi liked to believe that he knew Eren. Only he knew that he didn’t. There were centuries behind Eren that Levi would never know about, years upon years that had shaped and moulded the demon boy’s character and Levi would never know why the brat had turned out to be the only decent demon out there. The only thing that Levi did know was that out of all the demons in Hell, the one to arrive on his doorstep had bright eyes and a goofy smile and behaved more like a puppy than a monster.

And Levi loved him. He wasn’t even surprised. Not a single human on earth had turned his head and kept it there, not even Erwin. Then one cute brat bounced along, literally out of Hell’s mouth, and Levi couldn’t shake him, couldn’t turn away, and finally…couldn’t let go.

Fuck it. Whatever Erwin’s people wanted, they would have to look elsewhere. Levi couldn’t imagine that he had any useful answers to give and even if that turned out to be false he wouldn’t dream of handing over information that could hurt his starry-eyed twerp.

It occurred to Levi that Erwin was still waiting for him to provide some sort of answer. The smaller male wondered how long it had been since that first question had been asked. Even in silence, those blue eyes continued to probe. Levi thought about all the cogs ticking inside that head, curious as to what theories the big man had thought of without a shred of information. Erwin had a mind that could have bent the world to his every whim and instead of pursuing something where that cunning could be used, the man had become a priest. Levi could have laughed. Or cried.

When the raven remained silent, with no signs that he would speak any time in the near future, Erwin continued.

“Very well.” He murmured, voice quiet enough to be casual but loud enough to hold Levi’s attention when he spoke.” How about we skip over that one for now? It’s a bit of a vague question to start out with.” The blonde paused, like he was riffling through potential queries. It didn’t take him long to choose. “Why don’t you tell me how much information he’s shared with you?”

Erwin waited, watching Levi for any kind of response or reaction, however minute. Levi recognised the scrutiny, the inquisitive gaze that tried to pick him apart thought by thought. It was something that had driven him mad even when they had been dating and Levi found himself no less irked by it now. His eyes narrowed but the raven bit his tongue, refusing to speak even if it was only to cuss at the priest. Even an angry outburst could give something to a man so good at reading between the lines.

“You don’t have to start with details.” Erwin’s voice prompted from behind his fingers as the man steepled his hands together in front of his mouth. “Just a word or two would suffice. It’s cooperation we’re after, even in a simple form.”

Levi thought about that, mulling over the words as he stared the big man down.

“Bite me.”

Erwin didn’t smile, but there was a flare of light to his eyes that made Levi believe that he had wanted to. Instead the man moved right along as he had no doubt been trained to do.

“Has Eren shared with you anything concerning his greater purpose?” The blonde asked, straightening a little when a tiny furrow appeared between the raven’s brows. “Why is he here?” Erwin simplified.

None of Eren’s plans really held much concern for the human race. The brunet had told Levi about his plans for Hell, about his dreams of overthrowing whoever was in charge, but never mentioning any negative impacts for the living world. In the end, though, Levi knew that he hadn’t heard enough details to accurately decide whether or not Eren and his schemes would affect his world at all.

These questions really were turning out to be pointless. Levi shot Erwin a look that the raven hoped conveyed his frustration with their current situation.

Erwin, surprisingly enough, gave a nod like he knew exactly what Levi was thinking and he agreed. But he only pushed for information when he spoke, working through the procedure like he couldn’t stop if he tried.

“I’m trying to make this easy on you.” The big, blonde man said through a sigh, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. “Just tell me who his master is. And by that I mean the creature providing him with instructions.”

At this, Levi could feel a frown forming on his face. There was no stopping it and no force on Earth could have stopped his words from escaping.

“He doesn’t have a master.”

The very thought was offensive and Levi was surprised to feel himself sneering. Even thinking of Eren having to answer to someone else, to put his dreams on hold for a higher power, had the raven’s blood boiling. He was reminded abruptly of Eren’s fiancé. That fucker was probably the only creature in existence that Eren feared. He was certainly the only one that the brunet had ever spoken about with real fear in his tone. And now Eren was off in Hell playing house with that monster just so that he could stay alive.

Levi felt sick. He wanted to be able to help. Levi wanted to be strong like Eren. Not emotionally strong, no. The raven wanted to be able to shake buildings with nothing more than a bad mood passing. He wanted to be able to crush a skull with his bare hands. Looking at Erwin, the raven knew that he would have absolutely no qualms in using such strength to get himself out of this mess. He would never have been captured in the first place if he wasn’t a useless fucking human. He would have been able to smell Erwin, to see his scent like lights before his eyes if he was a demon.

He would be able to stay with Eren, forever and maybe even longer than that, if he could be the same as him.

Most importantly, though…if he was a demon, Levi would be able to take on his rival on equal terms.

Levi wondered what Erwin would think if he could hear his thoughts right about then. In the middle of a hostage situation, where he had been kidnapped and bound and was being subjected to interrogation, Levi was still thinking about a demon’s wellbeing over his own. He was longing to become one of the very monsters that Erwin sought to destroy…and a small part of Levi wanted to admit it aloud.

_I want to be a demon. I don’t want to live like this anymore. I want to be the thing you hate most…maybe then you’ll finally give up on me._

He wanted Erwin to hear the confession leave his mouth, wanted to watch the look of horror form on that controlled face, and listen to the words that would follow. Maybe then this odd man would finally see that Levi was a lost cause. The idea of them was a lost cause, had been from the start only neither of them had seen it in time to stop from charging ahead.

There would be no fear with Eren. Only instinct and passion and distraction from all the little things that tried to worm their way into his conscience.

Erwin’s features remained calm, not even reacting to the increasingly hostile gaze that he received from Levi. The raven felt like grinning without restraint; Erwin had no fucking clue about the morbid thoughts tearing through Levi’s head. If he did, there was no way that he could still be so calm.

“There has to be some sort of ringleader,” Erwin mused, mostly to himself, “someone behind all the mischief.”

Grey eyes rolled and the raven clicked his tongue to get the blonde man’s attention. Blue eyes focused on him in surprise as Erwin came out of whatever thoughts he had been swimming through, and Levi was pleased with the attention.

“I really think you’re putting too much thought into all this.” Levi decided to tell the blonde. He wouldn’t give away anything, but it would be fun to challenge Erwin’s beliefs. “You’ve seen too many films. Sometimes it’s not about us.”

The raven’s words were only half-teasing. As far as he knew, there was no master plan for the living world. They already sent through more than enough souls to keep the demons of Hell entertained and occupied, enough that only a few monsters ever bothered to cross over and cause mischief. Besides that, Eren had explained how difficult it was to travel between worlds. Only demons of a certain level of power could even make it through, and according to the brunet too much strength also placed a limiter on which demons could travel.

Erwin didn’t look convinced. He only frowned at the raven’s words, leaning forward like the new angle would make his words any truer.

“And sometimes it is.” The blonde said with emphasis, sounding just as concerned as he looked. The big man’s features were twisted with growing worry, his limbs tenser than they had been a moment ago. “All this activity, rare as it is, what if it all tied together somehow? What if they’ve been plotting for years, biding their time?”

An amused snort scraped free of the raven’s throat. “I think they’d have done something about it by now.”

Erwin paused, looking an odd sort of incredulous for a moment as he watched Levi take an issue like demons so lightly, before he kept talking.

“Just think back for me.” Erwin pleaded in a tone that Levi had seldom heard, leaning closer as if to keep their words secret from a crowd that wasn’t listening or even present. “Has Eren ever been reluctant to talk about someone in particular? Is there someone who occupies a lot of his thoughts and concerns? Does that sound at all familiar?”

Levi refused to admit that it did sound damned familiar. But Eren had told him about Rivaille, and even about the fact that they were betrothed. And besides, Eren was a demon still and he was bound to act on age-old instincts regardless of how tame he could be. Levi knew that they were in a huge, fucked up mess…but he knew what was going on. He knew where Eren was and, although he disliked thinking about it, he knew what the kid was doing too. If he had wanted out…if he had really, honestly wanted out…then he should have bailed as soon as he’d heard the word “fiancé”.

But he hadn’t run for it like any other, normal person might have. Would have. Levi remained and heard the boy’s explanation, listened to his fears, his hopes and dreams. And Eren was so deep in him now that there was no point trying to dig all those feelings back out. Levi knew that any attempt to do so would only leave him crippled and bleeding with the shreds of his heart in tatters, cradled in his shaky fingers.

If there had ever been a perfect time to bail, it had long since passed. There had been too much involvement since then; conversations, confessions, an “I love you” and so much fucking hurt shared on both fronts. Levi felt raw when Eren was around. He felt vulnerable and new, like he had shed the skin of his old life and was ready to start a new one.

If only his new life wasn’t so fucking complicated. But this wasn’t the peak; Levi could feel it. He knew in his bones that this wasn’t rock bottom. Rather…this mess was only one of the stepping stones along the road to whatever end the universe had planned for them, for him, for Eren, even for Erwin. And Levi was far too invested in it all to give up and turn away now.

He was broken and aching and he wanted to see what was lying at the end of this wretched path. There were thorns in his path, but there were thorns behind him now, too. It made no sense to turn back now, to allow himself to be ripped to bloody pieces only to earn nothing in return. No. He had to push on and brave the thorns. At least if he kept moving he would be rewarded with the knowledge of what he was fighting towards.

“Levi?”

The deep tenor of Erwin’s voice pulled the raven from his mess of thoughts. Grey eyes sought out the pale blue of the blonde priest’s gaze, locking onto it with an eerie focus.

“Hn?” Came the hum of acknowledgement from behind thin lips.

Erwin heaved a sigh, relaxing somewhat in his seat and fixing the raven with a weary expression that didn’t suit his face.

“Will you give up this pointless game?” The blonde asked, sounding hopeful and not in the same tone. “All I want are a few answers. Is talking really so difficult.”

Levi could feeling his mouth moving, twitching upwards into a smile that must have been bordering on manic.

“No…” the raven answered, that smile never leaving his face, “it isn’t.”

 

Erwin could hardly believe his ears. Had Levi just agreed to cooperate? He had. There wasn’t another way to interpret those words given the context of his question.

Progress at last! The blonde had to hold back from smiling or even outright groaning his relief. He had known that trying to wring information out of someone like Levi would be tedious, even if he did still harbour feelings for the man. Erwin didn’t want to have to move onto physical violence to gain the information that his superiors wanted, nor was he particularly eager to drug the raven. He had already been forced to use chemical assistance just to get Levi here and, if possible, Erwin didn’t want to have to breach the man’s trust any further.

Not that Levi trusted him at all. Not anymore.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Erwin inhaled before speaking. He would need to begin with slow, careful questions if he didn’t want to risk having the raven change his mind and shut down again. They had already been here a while and Levi would need food and water eventually, but Erwin couldn’t risk coming across as too accommodating too soon, not until he had at least a sliver of useful intel.

“What affiliation do you have with Eren?”

There, a nice, easy question.

“Boyfriend.” Levi’s voice sliced through the air.

A question that was answered with far too much smugness for Erwin’s liking. There was no doubting that the raven-haired man was pleased with his answer and not the least bit afraid of the fact that his so-called boyfriend was a monstrous being from the pits of Hell itself. The thought that such a creature could have the self-control to court a human was ludicrous…

…but Levi was still alive…and he had been around Eren for some time now. It was very…intriguing. Just how much restraint did this demon of Levi’s have? Could he resist going feral in the presence of silver? Could he resist feeding with the scent of blood in the air? Suddenly Erwin wondered if maybe it wouldn’t be such a good idea to eliminate this specimen so quickly; they could potentially learn from him.

Still Erwin had to remain calm and in control of himself. If Levi caught onto the fact that he was planning on reporting this new scheme to his higher ups, then the raven could close off entirely. That was a risk that could not be taken, not until at least a few answers lay on the table for his scrutiny.

“So you admit that you are connected with the demon?” Erwin asked, keeping his tone cool.

Levi only scoffed at him. “Don’t ask questions you already know the answers to, fuckwit.”

Regular, charming Levi. He never changed that much.

The blonde nodded in response, moving on but remaining on that particular topic for now. “And what kind of relationship would you say you have with Eren?”

Once he had Levi feeling more comfortable with handing over information, then he would try to ask some more complicated questions. On no account could he spook the raven too soon. At the same time, Erwin was eager to learn as much as he could about Eren and his restraint around humans.

“Didn’t I just answer that?” Levi muttered, sounding bitter.

“Perhaps I can elaborate more clearly.” Erwin paused as he searched for the right words, looking at the floor to allow Levi even a sliver of privacy as the query left his lips. “Have you had intimate relations with Eren?”

There was a pause, but the blonde didn’t detect any kind of tension in the air. No more than there had been before, at any rate.

“I think you know the answer to that one too.” Levi replied eventually.

Looking up, Erwin found the raven-haired man with an accusing look on his face, although the blonde wasn’t entirely sure what he was being accused of with that stare.

“I would appreciate it if you would confirm that.” He pressed anyway.

Levi’s brow twitched, a sign of irritation that Erwin remembered well, and the blonde knew that he was beginning to hit a nerve. That thought was confirmed a moment later when the raven snapped out his response, venom in his words and ice in his eyes.

“Yes, I have, as you say, engaged in intimate fucking relations with the demon brat.” Levi bit out, reminding Erwin of a younger, teenaged Levi that had been just as defensive and quick to anger. “And it was great.”

Just as quick to sass, too. At least that never changed, even if Levi’s cause for defensiveness had. One upon a time Levi had been defending them, their relationship where others had questioned. Now those eyes burned in defence of another, one who was not even human.

Where had things gotten so warped between them?

Erwin fought back a grimace. He knew when, he knew exactly when things had changed, but that was in the past and unchangeable.

“How many times?” The blonde asked, feeling the unmistakable clench of jealousy twisting in his gut.

Levi looked over at him, eyes comically wide and incredulous.

“What the fuck does that matter?” He snapped out, more shocked than angry for a moment before his eyes narrowed down. Levi eyed the blonde with a look of disgust. “Geez, I guess the whole ‘Church full of perverts’ thing isn’t as false as we’d like to believe, huh?”

“Levi-”

“Fine.” The raven cut Erwin off before he could backpedal or explain his questioning bullshit. “Do you want details? Want to know how big his dick is next? Or are you curious about whether or not he’s better in bed than you?”

Erwin swallowed, refusing to wince at the harsh words. It made sense for Levi to lash out and he couldn’t blame the raven for his anger. No, this was Eren’s fault for twisting the poor man until he thought he loved him.

If possible, Erwin would free Levi of the lies that his demon had swathed him in. It might hurt the man, but he would know the truth. Demons did not love, except for the pride that they held themselves in. They were not loyal to anyone but themselves either and in the end this Eren would not keep whatever promises that he had made to the raven.

Either way, Levi would be hurt. At least this way he would find freedom.

“Does he bite you?” Erwin forced the words out.

He didn’t want to know. If Levi had been marked in such a way then it would already be too late.

“Why the fuck would he bite me?” Levi asked, like the blonde’s question was ridiculous.

Erwin looked up so quickly that his neck protested.

“That’s a no?” He asked, only managing to keep half of the desperation from his tone.

If Eren could resist eating Levi _and_ biting him…just what kind of demon was he?

“Of course he doesn’t bite me!” The raven shook his head with a roll of his eyes. “I’m his lover, not his dinner.”

“Not yet.” Erwin mumbled to himself.

“Fuck you.” Levi sneered.

Huh. Apparently he hadn’t been as quiet as he’d thought. Even so, the blonde relaxed in his seat with a sigh of relief. Levi hadn’t been pulled too far under yet if Eren hadn’t drugged him with a demon’s bite. It was a rare condition, one that had barely ever happened before, and the only cases that had come in had to be dealt with in…extreme measures. Humans who were bitten by demons for a purpose other than to be eaten tended to undergo severe changes in behaviour where the demon in question was concerned. Sometimes the human was reduced to a blank slate, barely reacting to anything other than the one who had bitten them. In other cases the person affected would become more and more antisocial and prone to violent tendencies until they began to exhibit behaviour similar to that of demons.

It was dangerous. Once the symptoms reached their peak, these human victim started taking their own victims. Erwin had only seen photos of the maulings that had occurred in those situations, but that had been more than enough. He would die before he let Levi turn into a mindless monster.

“Thank God.” Erwin’s words left on a sigh and he ran a hand over his face, looking to Levi again.

“What does God have to do with this? Oh that’s right, I forgot you’re a Bible boy.”

“It hasn’t hurt me yet.” The big blonde murmured, letting his eyes sweep over the raven with a slight frown. He sighed. “I really wish that you could have controlled your urges, though.”

Levi looked a mix of indignant and defensive, seething while Erwin looked at him like he acted like a bitch in heat every time he and Eren got down to business.

“My urges?” Levi bared his teeth with the words. “You can blame Eren for any and all action in my sex life.” The raven scoffed, turning his eyes towards the floor with an unimpressed huff. “Twerp has a libido like a dog in rut.”

Erwin’s eyebrows shot straight up, his expression remaining that way even when the raven-haired man glanced back up, and Levi had to bite the inside of his cheek to fight off a satisfied smirk. Any unguarded emotion on that face was a win.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t be smiling about something like that.” Erwin murmured, his tone as disapproving as the look that formed on his face. “Are you aware that many demons make contracts through physical contact?”

Levi gave a loud groan, rolling his eyes with the sound. “If you’re referring to every supernatural-themed movie ever, then yes.” He snarked.

Erwin only frowned at him. “I wouldn’t take this lightly if I were you.” The blonde warned and Levi could only hope that the man wasn’t about to start preaching at him. His hope was in vain. “Demons can steal a soul with something as simple as a kiss, and now you’re telling me that you’ve let yourself be defiled by one on more than one occasion.”

The blonde male’s face was grave as he spoke and Levi wanted to punch the guy for taking this whole mess so seriously.

“Well excuse me.” The raven muttered. “Not all of us can be prudes.”

Erwin’s brows dipped but his frown had a trace of something in it. Offense, maybe?

“I’m not a prude.” The big man said and, yep, that was definitely an offended tone.

Levi considered it a personal victory that he had pushed Erwin off topic with just a little baiting. That had always been entertaining, ever since they had first met. In fact, in Levi’s memory served him correctly, their first encounter had gone much the same. The blonde had been trying to convince him to vote for him to be their class captain or some other ridiculous, smarmy bullshit. Levi had sat there, pretending to listen while he shamelessly ogled Erwin, and at the first opportunity he had cut in with a “that’s great, babe, but what I want to know is if you can keep talking like this without that uniform on.”

Hint: he could. Oh Lord, he could.

“Please. It took three whole years and a dare for you to even say the word ‘penis’ out loud.” The raven chuckled.

Levi wondered if Eren could make a convincing speech under the same circumstances? It wouldn’t have been the first time that Levi had gotten creative in the bedroom and Eren always rose to a challenge. He would have to remember to make the suggestion when all this was over.

Grey eyes widened a fraction as Levi realised just how confident his thoughts had been. He had believed so fiercely that he would make it out of this one, but who was to say that things wouldn’t go south? He would have put more thought into the matter, but this time Erwin had ignored the goading.

Levi refocused just in time to hear the words “Has he ever had your blood?” leave Erwin’s mouth.

“What?” Levi squinted. “No.”

Eren had always been careful around him, knowing how his instincts could rule him. Even before they had become anything official, the brunet had taken extra care around Levi.

“Have you ever bled around him?” Erwin pressed.

“I don’t fucking know!” The raven growled, thinking back just to check his memory. “Probably not.”

Erwin sighed, although it was unclear whether the sound was relieved or not.

Inside the blonde’s head, a mess of thoughts wound about each other like a pit of writhing snakes. There was chaos, yes, but an order also as none of his thoughts ran into each other, just like the finesse of serpents sliding over one another in confinement. He was relieved, yes, that Levi was not being overly reckless with himself and this demon boy he was entertaining. But alongside that relief there was worry. Erwin was worried that Levi might really not know enough to satisfy his superiors. Either that or the raven was holding back.

Damn. They would need to capture Eren for sure now, even if only to test his instincts. But in the meantime Levi was beginning to get suspicious. Erwin could see him closing off, but maybe Levi would be more willing to talk if he thought Eren was in danger?

With that in mind, Erwin stood.

 

Levi watched the blonde man move suddenly, standing up and stretching out his limbs. The sight alone made the raven-haired man acutely aware of the soreness in his own cramped limbs but he refused to complain. Instead he kept a close watch as Erwin turned on his heel and strode for the supplies resting at the edge of the light across the cleared area of floor.

“I’d like to thank you for your cooperation so far.” The big man murmured.

He stooped to rummage through one of the bags pushed towards the outer edge of the lit space and Levi heard the dull clatter of metal against metal every once in a while. What was in that bag, Levi wondered?

“You call snark and cussing cooperation?” The raven asked, raising an eyebrow.

Erwin gave a hum of amusement but Levi couldn’t see his face with the big man turned away as he was. The blonde straightened at last and turned, his hands full of an old-looking tome and…was that chalk?

“I was surprised that you would say anything at all.” Erwin admitted, offering the raven-haired man a smile.

Levi remained silent, regarding the slow pace that brought Erwin to the middle of the circle of light. The blonde glanced at the floor, examining the dusty concrete as he knelt there and put a hand to the ground beneath him as though inspecting it for flaw or blemish. With a nod meant only for himself, Erwin set the now open tome down and, taking the chalk between a thumb and forefinger, began to draw. The pattern was unfamiliar to Levi, but the more he watched Erwin move around, making a large circle with the chalk and filling it with smaller markings, the more the raven-haired man felt a dread building within him. This couldn’t be any sort of Church art.

“What are you doing..?”

Levi’s voice sounded dead and toneless even in his own ears.

Erwin didn’t look up as he spoke, adding the finishing touches to the inner section of a the larger circle.

“Just an experiment.” He assured the raven, though Levi didn’t look very reassured when blue eyes glanced up. “I have more questions for you, but some for Eren as well. And I think, perhaps, you both might be more inclined to talk if you were here…together.”

“Erwin, if you hurt him-”

“Let’s just wait and see if this will work. But for that…I will need your help.”

“Help?”

“Eren will not come all this way for someone he does not know, I’m sure. But for his little human pet..? I think even a demon would be inclined to investigate if they were summoned from familiar blood.”

“Summoned?” Levi asked, before a more pressing thought pushed to the front of his mind. “But he’s never had my blood.”

“No. Let’s hope that it’s similar to the way you smell to him, then.”

Levi stiffened, feeling panic rising in his blood as he watched Erwin stalk closer and closer, his hand wrapped about the hilt of a small knife. The raven could feel old instincts rising in him, lending a feral glint to his eyes. This would not be the first time that cold steel met his flesh in a stinging kiss.

But it would be the first time that he would face a blade’s caress without the option of fighting back. A unique kind of panic set in, shocking its way through the raven’s veins, and he only hoped that Erwin knew how to use that steel or else he might lose more than just a little blood.

The metal of the knife glinted in the light of the torches as Erwin drew closer and Levi frowned. The blade was polished, shiny and bright like no steel that the bound man had ever seen before. But why would Erwin polish steel?

No, not steel, the raven realised…

…the dagger…it was made of silver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. Well. Damn.  
> Feedback please. I feel like this chapter is in sore need of it.


	53. Tug-of-War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man. So much later than I would have liked.  
> Anyway, it begins. Requests fulfilled and questions answered, I hope. Some of them, anyway :p  
> Enjoy!

“Are you alright now, pet?”

“I-I’m fine, I told you.”

Eren grumbled petulantly from Rivaille’s lap, folded up and pouting.

It had been days after their initial scare when the raven had found him aching and crying but the wraith still wouldn’t let the brunet wander further from him than a few rooms. Eren had assured Rivaille that he was feeling better, much better, and there was no lingering pain. He even felt up to walking about, wanting to test how far he could push his limits. But his mate wouldn’t allow it, keeping the brunet close and fussing over him. The fact that Rivaille was so worried for his mate was an encouraging sign, but Eren was beginning to grow fed up with being mollycoddled.

“I’ll never be able to cope with this if you don’t let me see what my limits are.” The younger demon griped, scratching at the stone floor, half sprawled over the raven’s lap as he tried to crawl away.

Rivaille gripped the boy’s hips with a muttered “tch”, chiding the brunet as he coaxed him back.

Eren let out a frustrated whimper, twisting to complain over his shoulder. “Can’t I just have a few minutes?”

The brunet wanted to see how far he could make it through the castle before he dropped like a sack of potatoes and cried for mate. Maybe those effects would have ebbed off completely? Eren doubted it, but he would never know since Rivaille wouldn’t let him out of his sight. The raven’s behaviour was more possessive than Eren ever remembered it to be, with Rivaille growing anxious whenever the younger demon would head for an exit.

Rivaiiiiille…” Eren whined, thumping his fist and tail on the floor in tantrum.

Silver eyes watched the whole thing, unimpressed with the moping demon’s antics.

“Throwing a fit won’t help your case.” The raven announced, keeping a strong hold on Eren’s waist. “Don’t be such a brat.”

The demon before him made a sound like a rankled cat, twisting in on himself as he sulked. Rivaille regarded the display with worried eyes but refused to allow that concern to sway his decision. Eren was weak, too weak to be wandering about in this world full of so many other monstrous creatures that could swallow him whole without the brunet ever putting up a fight. If he was at full strength, his Eren would have no trouble looking out for himself. Until then, however, Rivaille took it upon himself to keep tabs on the younger demon.

But Eren was suffocating in here, held back by stone walls, and all Rivaille could do was try and futilely comfort him with soothing fingers in the boy’s hair. The raven wished that he was better at this whole mess of caring for another creature, but he had barely any time to fret in between figuring out how they were going to deal with this new way of life and actively looking after his troubled mate.

For all the experience Eren had; he became the equivalent of a moody child when forced to remain cooped up.

“I’m not going to run away,” the brunet promised, flopping back against the raven’s lap with a huff, “I just want to stretch my legs for a while. Please?”

Rivaille paused as if he was considering the boy’s words. The brunet waited, holding in a useless breath and trying to ignore the distraction of his mate’s hand stroking absently along the back of one tanned thigh.

The raven inhaled and for a moment the younger demon thought that he was going to concede.

“You can stretch them in here.” He said instead, crushing Eren’s hopes of freedom.

His face crumpled into a moody frown and the brunet wailed in frustration, turning on the raven with a moody sound and pouncing at him.

Rivaille caught Eren with a surprised sound, not expecting the impromptu brawl, and his eyes widened a fraction as he was shoved back by the force of the boy’s lunge. A sound left Eren’s throat, the noise caught somewhere between a whine and a growl. He was upset, that much was clear, unsatisfied with this enclosed room and harsh stone. Rivaille could sense the pent up frustration roiling within his young mate, driving Eren to try and fight his way out of the room. It didn’t soften the flare of aggression that the challenge pulled from Rivaille and the raven responded fiercely and without hesitation. Wrists pinned above the boy’s head, legs restrained by the tight coil of Rivaille’s tail. The raven placed his weight on Eren’s chest, a dark sound rumbling in his throat. Eren barely managed to put up a struggle. Rivaille pinned him with ease, growling only enough to have the younger demon lolling his head to one side in defeat, eyes averted and scowling off to one side, body going lax beneath the raven. His growling died down immediately and Rivaille huffed a sigh, rubbing along the boy’s arms and sides in attempt to console him over the defeat.

The wraith felt odd forcing his mate to submit like this, for such a silly reason. He winced, although Eren couldn’t see it, and berated himself internally for allowing his own instincts to get the better of him.

Eren was a strong and feisty little thing by nature; it was only their bonding that had reduced the brunet to a crying mess those few days ago. Rivaille knew that the reason he was so unwilling to let Eren leave his sight was for that exact reason and he was still adjusting to how their bond was affecting him. This anxious fretting wasn’t like him and even the brunet, patient as he had been, was beginning to grow irritable from all the coddling.

Huffing out a sigh, the raven ducked his head to lick the brunet’s cheek in penance.

“I’m sorry, lamb.” Rivaille exhaled, shaking his head at his own behaviour. “I don’t want to be unreasonable.”

Eren gave a scoff, clearing his throat awkwardly when the raven raised an eyebrow at him. The younger demon made a sound, admission of guilt for his unintentional outburst, squirming a little under Rivaille’s scrutiny.

“Sorry,” the brunet amended, offering a coy smile in apology, “it’s just that…well, that would be a first for you.”

“How flattering.” The raven deadpanned. “To think that my fated one has such a high opinion of me.”

Eren laughed, the sound sheepish, and leaned up to nuzzle the side of Rivaille’s head. They both knew it was the truth, which was probably the reason why Eren’s comment stung at all. But the raven accepted the brunet’s affectionate cuddling because he knew the boy’s words had been true. He wasn’t one to worry.

Until now, apparently. Rivaille grimaced; he didn’t like the change.

“Can I just have a little time to walk around?” Eren pleaded, aiming those big eyes upwards. When Rivaille looked away the brunet only stretched up to murmur imploringly in the raven’s ear. “Please, Rivaille?” His voice shook with hope and apprehension alike. “I won’t go far; I just want to see if I can make it to the far side of the castle without aching.”

Rivaille exhaled through his nose, staring across at the doorway. The space beyond beckoned to Eren like it never would for the raven and there was no point in both of them remaining miserable.

“Alright, pet.” He acquiesced with a sigh.

Eren jerked upright, eyes wide like he didn’t quite believe what his ears were telling him.

“Eh?” Came the boy’s confused query.

“Go on,” Rivaille encouraged with a nod towards the door and a gentle nudge, “get some air.”

The brunet seemed twice as confused, stammering his doubt as he stared at the raven. “B-B-But-”

Rivaille pressed a finger to Eren’s mouth, feeling the boy’s lips settle into a tense line beneath the underside of his pointer.

“And if you do bail on me,” he began, watching the brunet’s eyes shift at his suddenly playful tone, “at least send me something to snack on.”

He ran the fingers of his free hand up the younger demon’s throat from collar to jaw and back, gingerly thumbing at Eren’s Adams apple before his fingers skipped back up to rub under his mate’s chin.

Eren pouted. “I already said I wouldn’t.” The boy mumbled against Rivaille’s pale digit.

It was odd seeing the brunet so disheartened by Rivaille’s lack of trust in him. Eren had run away before and the wraith couldn’t help the suspicion that crept in his heart whenever the younger demon eyed the door.

But he gave his mate the benefit of the doubt, just this once. Anything to have the boy smile again. Pale hands slipped away from Eren’s face and Rivaille leaned closer.

“I know,” the raven said with a fond roll of his eyes, cupping the back of Eren’s neck as he placed a gentle kiss to the boy’s forehead, “go on now.”

The brunet sat rigid with eagerness, eyes wide and hopeful. “Really?”

Rivaille nodded, pleased at least to see some excitement in his mate. “Don’t push yourself too far, you’re still recovering, remember.”

Eren nodded eagerly, surging forward to kiss the older demon and lingering with a happy hum. Rivaille felt his own instincts singing with contentment at the affection he was rewarded with, his little mate practically vibrating with the zeal that even this small freedom granted him. A litany of thank yous fell repeatedly from pink lips and Rivaille couldn’t have hushed the boy if he tried. Pale arms curled about the brunet’s tan waist and the raven tipped Eren back to trail a few, nipping kisses down his squirming body. Finishing by closing his lips over the boy’s sleeping cock, the raven suckled teasingly until Eren whined to be freed.

Rivaille released his mate with a chuckle, sending Eren on his way with a playful slap to his rear. Eren scampered off with a happy yip, tripping over himself in his excitement as he raced for the door with promises to be careful and to pace himself. It was a heart-warming sight to see. Rivaille watched the boy go with a sigh, unable to keep from smiling at his eagerness. At least his young mate’s enthusiasm for everything seemed to be returning. That was a good sign, an indication that the brunet was healing up well. A week more and all of Eren’s bites would be healed over, replaced with silver scars to remind every other demon out there that the brunet was spoken for. They would need to go hunting, the both of them, but not for a while yet.

For now, though, all that was left was to adjust with their new relationship. Not so long ago, Eren had been sleeping in a cell deep below the earth, shunned in punishment and his own reluctance to accept Rivaille as his mate. Not so long ago, the brunet was terrified of Rivaille.

Now he came to him for kisses and comfort. The contrast couldn’t have been clearer.

The dark-haired demon shuddered rapturously at the knowledge. Bonding was a wonderful thing, the closest thing to a miracle that this world or the neighbouring one would ever see. Rivaille would never have dreamed for such positive results. Hell, he would have never believed that his sweet Eren would look at him with anything other than anger, fear, or disgust. But he had seen things lighting up those teal eyes recently, the clearness of relief, the coy ripple of desire flowing into the heavy-lidded darkness of lust.

So many emotions in such a short length of time and Rivaille could hardly process it all. But with Eren off on his own, wandering about, the wraith figured he would have plenty of time to reminisce. At least if he was thinking about the past few days then his mind would stop fretting over the fact that his mate wasn’t by his side.

 

Freedom, even on a small scale, was the best gift that Rivaille could have given the brunet. He could easily imagine how quickly his heart would be beating now if he weren’t a dormant creature; his mind summoned the sensation of rapid thrumming behind his ribs – a once familiar feeling.

He was breathing just as quickly, indulging in the habit as he scampered out of their nesting room.

Eren rushed only as far as the hall, pausing by the doorway that would lead further into the castle. So far so good, although this was hardly enough distance to be sure of anything. He straightened, standing on two feet rather than crawling about. It hadn’t occurred to Eren just how familiar being on all fours had become, and not only in the inappropriate sense. It felt odd to be upright again after spending so long curled up, sleeping and dozing and playing with Rivaille when the raven allowed it, but Eren pushed on one step at a time.

Feet surprisingly steady, Eren smiled and started forward with delighted determination. He swallowed, moving forward with quick, springing steps. Mind cautiously keeping tabs on his own body, Eren was keenly aware of the sensations he felt.

There was no pain building in his gut, nor was there any growing panic forming in his mind. In fact Eren couldn’t feel any discomfort at all. The brunet beamed, scampering further into the castle towards the far side. He wanted to get as far away from Rivaille as he could to test how far their bond would let him venture without distressing either of them. After all, Eren would never be able to get by in the living world if he could handle being without his mate. He did have to get back there, after all, to take care of the rest of his plans, to gather more strength and…

…other reasons which he could not permit himself to think about. If Eren became nostalgic now, Rivaille would feel it as clearly as if the feeling was his own. So the brunet steeled himself and ignored the thoughts that threatened to bombard his mind.

Instead he turned his attention to bounding further into the castle. Standing around wouldn’t do him any good, so the only alternative was to move onwards.

The hallway was fine, not even a twinge. Eren wandered out into the main hall then, bounding about the tables and over Rivaille’s throne and scampering towards the raven’s chamber. The room was dark and a mess of satin lay on the floor from where Rivaille had come to raid blankets for their nest; the burgundy satin pooling like a lake of blood over dark stone. Seeing the bed brought back a rush of memories; it was beautiful, even in disarray. For a moment the brunet wished that he could properly recall the way everything in the room had looked before Rivaille had stormed through here in a blind rush. Instead Eren was more focused on how normal he felt. There was no buzzing in his blood, no aching or throbbing akin to a headache only all over.

After the drug-like high of bonding, Eren almost didn’t recognise what it was like to be normal. It just felt…average, not too much of anything.

And it was great. Eren didn’t hurt anywhere or feel so good that he was dizzy; he didn’t have stinging wounds or aching bones. Everything was just…quiet. Quiet and there, just existing without any extraordinary sensation.

The brunet bounded forward, heading for the dungeons below for one last test. He would head back to Rivaille after this, Eren promised himself, not wanting to worry the raven. Although he was happy that Rivaille had given him this much time, not coming straight away to call him back. The raven was being very reasonable, even though this must be worrying for him. Eren had no desire to torment Rivaille any longer than was necessary, so he hurried down the stone stairs and into the dark.

Now this brought back memories. Eren paused at the bottom of the stairs, wetting his lips with an anxious flick of his tongue. All of a sudden the raven waiting for him upstairs seemed like a foreign creature to the one in Eren’s mind, the one lurking in his memories like the one, true embodiment of terror in his existence. The brunet had feared very few things…but his fiancé had been one of those things. Fiancé no longer, Eren remembered. He wondered if he could consider them married by now? Is that what Earthen beings would call their union? Was Rivaille his husband?

Eren supposed that human marriages would not include such savage rituals as leaving a permanent mark on each of the participants. The brunet recalled something about rings, presented tokens of affection. How quaint. Compared to what Eren and Rivaille had just been through, that human ritual seemed positively adorable.

Maybe Eren should take Rivaille to the living world someday and see if he was just as amused by the human ceremony of marriage. What an absurd idea.

Padding forward, the brunet was preparing to head just a little further. He wanted to make it all the way to the end of the dungeons just to be sure. Taking a step forward, Eren felt a tight sensation in his abdomen and he seized up with a startled yelp, his legs giving out. The brunet shut his eyes in anticipation of his fall, opening his eyes again a moment later after a muttered “tch”.

Teal eyes blinked up, meeting harsh silver.

“Alright, lamb, that’s enough for one day.”

The raven had arrived in a split second, reinforcing in Eren’s mind just how strongly their connection affected them, but Rivaille had immediately assumed that the brunet had collapsed because of his bond limitations.

“R-Rivaille-” Eren turned quickly, finding himself caught safely in the raven’s arms, but he scrambled to glance around again, “no, that’s not what-”

“I know you’re eager to be out and about, pet,” Rivaille cut him off with a fond murmur, gathering the brunet in his arms to better keep him upright, “but there’s no need to overexert yourself.”

Eren twisted in the raven’s arms, wanting to face his mate to get his words across.

“No, Rivaille, listen-” the brunet’s words cut off with a hiss and Eren hunched in on himself.

His gut twisted, something sharp pulling at his insides. This was new, it was worrying. What was happening?

“Eren?”

The raven’s voice sounded less worried than it could have, but that didn’t exactly comfort the younger demon.

Eren gasped when a new tug made itself known, like a hook around his waist was trying to pull him right out of his mate’s arms. The brunet felt like he was going to be sick, but there was no solid matter in his stomach to expel.

He whimpered for his mate, unsure of what was happening to him.

Rivaille dropped down, laying the younger demon on the floor and hovering with a worried purr. Immediately he began fussing over the brunet, scenting him in the hopes that he could ascertain what was wrong. There was nothing off in the way Eren smelled, though. The only thing that had tipped the wraith off about his mate’s trouble had been the sudden flare in their bond that called him out. The only other thing to give away Eren’s distress was his hunched-over form. For a startling moment Rivaille found himself alarmingly grateful for their new connection. Without it he wouldn’t have known that anything was off about the younger demon at all.

“What’s wrong?” Rivaille murmured, smoothing the boy’s hair away from his face.

Below him, the brunet looked pale, almost as if he were in shock.

Eren shuddered, unsure of the foreign sensation that felt like it was pulling him in two. Something was yanking harshly in his abdomen. It felt like someone had dug their hands into his core, pulling at his insides and rearranging their resting positions within his body. His extremities tingled, bordering on being numb and hurting. And yet somehow there was no pain. Eren grimaced, panting while his mind raced to find the answer to the only question currently in his mind: what the hell was going on?

It couldn’t be their bond…there was no pain, no agony, and Rivaille was right there with him besides. Eren wasn’t hurting…not exactly. He just felt pulled taught, like someone was trying to wrench his life force right out of his body. It was like having too much air and suffocating all at once. Eren felt dizzy and hollow and fit to burst without knowing which sensation was real.

Were any of them real?

“Eren?”

Rivaille’s voice anchored him, gave the brunet a lifeline to focus on.

“Come on, little one, talk to me.”

Teal eyes opened, wide and alarmed, and zeroed in on Rivaille’s form. He took in the familiar dark hair, the fiery silver eyes, and the worry outlined in the way the raven’s mouth set in a hard line. The brunet tried and failed to speak, his mouth opening and closing around a cracked squeak.

Rivaille moved quickly, dropping down to get closer and press his forehead against Eren’s. He tried to hold the brunet’s gaze, searching in his eyes for something…oh. Eren understood abruptly, wincing under scrutinising silvers. The wraith wanted to search inside Eren’s head, for once with pure intentions, but it still didn’t make the invasion any less unpleasant. The younger demon gasped, shying away from Rivaille’s intentions, but the raven soothed him with a low croon.

“Easy, pet.” He hushed, thumbs stroking the boy’s temples. Rivaille tried to calm his mate but he had no idea how much time they had seeing as Eren’s condition was currently a mystery. “Let me in.” Rivaille implored, eyes fixed on Eren’s. “I won’t harm you, Eren, I swear. I’ll find out what’s wrong, baby lamb, just let me in. Eren, please.”

The raven’s pleading coaxed the brunet to calm a fraction, although it was difficult to focus on letting Rivaille in while his attention was being drawn by the tightening in his gut. Swallowing, Eren tried to relax. The brunet’s eyes trained on darkening silver orbs, letting that stare draw him in. His pupils grew a fraction, spreading black over the blue-green rings of his irises. Foreheads resting together, both males exhaled at the same time and Eren could feel the extra presence inside his head.

Discomfort in his skull was unpleasant, as always, but the mild throb of an oncoming headache at least provided a distraction. A whimper or two slipped past his guard but Eren only felt his mate search with even more concentration after each sound.

Rivaille sifted through the sensations that his poor little Eren was feeling. There was a mix of intangible feelings, distress and confusion coming together in an unsavoury cocktail in the boy’s mind. But tangible sensation was another thing entirely. Rivaille frowned, unblinking, when he identified an odd feeling shifting in the brunet’s gut. He suspected that this was the reason why Eren was cramping up. What did it mean, then? Rivaille rifled through every option that came to mind. Illness, effects of old age, bad food, but none of those options could have been affecting his mate. The wraith felt a lick of concern reach deep inside him and he stiffened, noting the sharp pull in Eren’s core and the absence of their bonding pain. Silver eyes widened, but the pupils narrowed into vicious slits.

Eren gasped with understanding, no doubt coming to the same conclusion that Rivaille had, and his body lurched with a strong pull.

“I-I’m being-”

“Summoned.” The wraith finished for him, snarling out the word.

Rivaille broke their connection in a second, snatching hold of the brunet’s arm quickly and drawing the limb up close. The raven raised one of his own hands to his mouth, biting down against his palm to break the skin, and then did the same to Eren’s forearm, bringing the two fresh wounds together. Both males hissed, but the pain was only brief – their blood familiar between them.

Eren let out a rushing sigh that lasted so long it was a wonder it didn’t make his chest ache. The horrid pulling sensation eased, but did not disappear completely. Thanks to Rivaille’s quick thinking, the brunet had not been spirited off to Hell’s Gate, and the younger demon gave a grateful whimper as he settled against the stone floor.

But he couldn’t relax for long.

“What the fuck is this?” The raven muttered, worry lacing his tone. “What kind of mischief have you been up to on the other side to land you in this sort of trouble?”

Eren wanted to snap at Rivaille, to tell him that he had no idea why this was happening, but the brunet couldn’t bring himself to raise his voice when his mate had every right to be concerned.

Summonings weren’t common, mostly due to the fact that they were rarely performed correctly. To summon a demon you needed several things. Firstly, the demon’s name. Without that it would be impossible to bring through any specific hellfiend through from one world to another. Secondly, there needed to be a sacrifice of blood, most commonly from the summoner but occasionally from additional victims depending on how good an offer one wanted to make. Lastly, without getting into any details about the different types of summonings, there had to be a mirror. Naturally as the only way through, the silver glass was a necessity for a successful ritual.

“I…I haven’t done anything.” Eren hiccupped, clutching his stomach in a miserable gesture. “Who would be trying to summon me?”

Rivaille clicked his tongue, his brow furrowing in thought.

“Do you recognise the call?” The raven asked, staring unseeing at the wall as he considered options.

Eren thought about his question for a moment, focusing on the lessening pull in his core. If he focused hard enough he could identify the tang of blood calling him to the other side, but there was nothing in it that Eren wanted. He wasn’t sure if it was familiar to him in any way; all that he could tell was that it was not somebody with which he knew well.

“No.” He shook his head. “It’s not someone I’m at ease with.”

“What about the voice?” Rivaille said without pause, squeezing the brunet’s arm absently. “Can you hear the incantation? You’ve never heard a similar tone before?”

“I don’t know.” Eren whined. “I didn’t exactly expect this to happen.”

“You and me both.” Rivaille muttered under his breath.

Eren stiffened, his pupils dilating. “It’s definitely a blood call, not a strong one.” The brunet squinted in concentration. “But I’ve never tasted or smelled this blood before. Although…damn…it’s almost familiar.”

Rivaille’s own eyes narrowed to cat-like slits, rendering him oddly feline…and menacing.

“Whoever it is, they will pay dearly for this.” The wraith muttered darkly, thumb smoothing over the blood-slickened skin of Eren’s arm.

The sting was strange but comforting, a reminder that they had only recently recovered from their bloodshare ritual. If Eren thought about it, that was probably the reason why he hadn’t been whisked off to who knows where the moment the summoning had occurred. He hadn’t been mentally prepared to ward off a call like that, which meant that his blood probably still had a little too much Rivaille in it for a simple summon like this. Clearly whoever was trying to pull him through to the living world had no idea about his mate. Thank goodness.

But none of that answered the question of why. Why was Eren the one being called to Earth? What possible reason could anyone have for calling him? How could they even be aware that he existed?

Something about the event troubled Eren, more than just the oddity of him being the one demon from the pack to be summoned. This didn’t seem like an accident. There was a purposeful feel to the whole incident that Eren just couldn’t seem to shake.

“Rivaille…” he mumbled, huddling against his mate while his thoughts swam with uncertainty, “I don’t want to go. I don’t trust this.”

The raven cradled Eren against him, maintaining his hold on the boy’s arm while he crooned in the hopes of soothing the brunet’s trepidation.

“Neither do I.” He murmured against the younger demon’s hair. “And I won’t let them take you, Eren.” Rivaille promised. “Don’t fret, little one. You’re safe.”

The words felt sincere and that sincerity comforted Eren like nothing else could. Rivaille wouldn’t let him get taken away when there was no knowing who was waiting on the other end of the summoning.

_Safe. He won’t let you be taken._

Curling himself closer to the raven, Eren was preparing to settle in to wait it out. Only about a minute later, however, he made a soft sound of surprise when the summoning call vanished abruptly. A weight seemed to lift, leaving the brunet with a feeling of almost startling lightness – like a cloud floating high above the earth. Eren’s body unwound from its tight coil like they had never been tight in the first place. He heaved a sigh of relief, wincing as he stretched out.

The raven eyed him warily, sensing that Eren was, for the moment, free from the danger of being spirited away. His hold never let up, though.

“Better?”

“For the moment.” Eren exhaled.

He let the raven fuss over him, filtering through his mind further fruitlessly for clues until the brunet pleaded for rest. Barely fifteen minutes had passed and Eren felt exhausted. Rivaille stroked his hair over and over in a slow and repetitious fashion, slowly but surely coaxing the brunet to sleep.

He was so close to losing consciousness when his gut gave a sudden spasm. Eren jolted in Rivaille’s arms, startling the raven enough to make his hand free in the boy’s hair. He made a questioning sound but Eren couldn’t unfold himself to reassure the raven that he was alright. Truth was he wasn’t alright. He was under assault. This time the sensation was different and, as he lurched upright again, Eren realised why. This time it hurt, like a punch had been landed. There was no blow, only the reaction of his body curling in on itself.

The pain came again, then again, more like someone was hitting him repeatedly. Eren cried out in alarm at a particularly harsh spasm, clutching at the raven.

“It’s back.” The brunet gave a pitching yelp, tensing up. “Oh, it’s worse now, Rivaille; it hurts.”

“Shit.” Rivaille muttered, baring his teeth in frustration.

He summoned forth small claws, digging the tips into Eren’s arm. It would sting but the brunet would have to bear with it. While physically connected, there was nothing that any summoner could do to take Eren away. No mortal incantation could pull the boy from Rivaille’s grasp and the raven would sit there for a hundred years if he had to. A human would perish long before the dark-haired wraith would even think of abandoning his bond mate.

“It’s alright, Eren.” He soothed, voice dark and threatening to let out his true voice. Rivaille bit his tongue hard until he had himself better under control. “They can try this as long as they want, but we can outlast them. We can outlast this game.”

 

The new wave of summons dragged on for half an hour. A trembling Eren accepted Rivaille’s offer to have some of his blood, drinking in the hope that it would provide strength. The dark nectar worked its magic, leaving the younger demon more alert now that he had at least fed.

His concern for his mate was quickly brushed off. Rivaille assured Eren that he would not need further sustenance for some time yet.

After about forty minutes the summoning pains died down, leaving both males in a moment of anxious quiet. Eren nestled close to his mate, seeking comfort in his uneasy state of mind. Everything about this felt wrong, felt planned, but no one should even so much as know his name to be able to call him from this world to the next. There were only a select few human beings who even knew that he existed and-

Eren yelped, surging upright and almost smacking his head against Rivaille’s. Another tightening sensation, a new wave of blood summons. The pain did not return, but Eren could not relax to be grateful for that because something was awfully, terribly wrong. His gut twisted and his chest seized up with worry. There was something else calling him in this new surge…Eren recognised the voice, could not have mistaken it if he had tried. He knew the smell and taste of new blood registering in his senses, sweet and delicate and achingly familiar, just like its owners scent only stronger. So much stronger. If the situation hadn’t been so dire Eren’s mouth might have watered.

The new voice overrode the first until Eren could barely hear it. Only the new tone wasn’t calling to him. It was shouting at him, screaming words that the brunet had no hope of catching. All he could do was feel the message that those words carried, wrapped in pain and fear and worry.

_Don’t you dare._

_Don’t you dare let this bait you._

Scared, but firm; the thoughts were so clear and they broke Eren’s heart.

_Don’t come here._

_I’ll be alright._

_Don’t you dare do anything stupid._

It all came rushing back; every last thought and memory that Eren had hidden away.

Levi. The demon boy’s chest tightened painfully at the name, and he felt happy and devastated all along.

Levi. Eren remembered, his heart aching in his chest in a way that could have been joy or sorrow or maybe even both at once. Human Levi, lost, hurting, breaking Levi. His Levi. He was being hurt, he was frantic; Eren could feel the panic in the blood being used to call him. Someone had to have done this without his consent, had to have hurt him, taken his blood. Why else would he feel so fearful? If this were the raven’s own doing, he would never feel this scared. And yet that fear wasn’t even for himself, for his own wellbeing. Poor, foolish Levi…worrying over a creature raised in hellfire and chaos when his own life was under threat.

Brave, courageous, little Levi.

He was going to be so _pissed_ with Eren’s decision.

“Rivaille, you can let go.” The brunet said suddenly, surprised by how flat his own voice sounded.

Rivaille noticed it too, but his features twisted into an incredulous expression rather than a suspicious one.

“Hah?” Came his response, along with wide and disbelieving eyes.

Eren did not have the time to explain, not properly, and he had to get out of here right now. Levi was in trouble and the brunet had no way of knowing just how much trouble he would be facing.

“I know who it is this time.” Eren tried to assure his mate, unable to quite meet his eyes. “It’s a friend. I-I have to go.”

But Rivaille gripped his arm tighter, jerking the younger demon’s chin back around so that he could meet startled, teal eyes.

“Can you?” The wraith bit out, momentarily confusing the brunet before he explained. “Can you make it in your condition?”

“I-I can do it.”

“All the way to another world?” Rivaille challenged and Eren couldn’t help but bristle at the raven’s words. “A couple of days ago you couldn’t make it out of the same room on your own. Will you be able to move so far away now?”

“I…” Eren trailed off, biting his lip before nodding, “I think so.”

Silver eyes narrowed, but the brunet recognised the worry in those darkening pools.

“Eren…” Rivaille started, both warning and anxiety in his tone.

“I can do it.” Eren pressed, face set with determination. “I’ll be alright.”

Rivaille sat back a little, holding fast to the boy’s arm. Eren could read in the grim lines of his face that the raven did not trust this situation but there was also no desire in him to get into a spat with his mate.

“Who is this friend of yours?” The wraith asked instead, determined to find a way to keep Eren here where he would be safe. “Are they trustworthy?”

“You trust me, don’t you?” The brunet argued, growing more frustrated the longer that he had to wait. “Is that not enough?”

“Eren.”

“Please, Rivaille.” Teal eyes were stern and resigned as they held stubborn silver orbs. Eren’s mouth rested in a firm line, determination radiating from his whole being. “Let go. I can handle this.”

He looked so sure of himself and it made Rivaille’s chest ache to have to tell him no. Somehow, though, he could tell that this was a battle he would lose.

It didn’t stop him from trying.

“I don’t like the idea of you going anywhere like this.” The raven admitted, eyes raking over his young mate’s form, still bare, still slightly paler than usual. “You’re vulnerable, Eren.”

The bitter truth.

“I know.” Eren exhaled.

“You’re weak.”

“We both are.” The brunet reminded, lifting a hand to rest it over Rivaille’s chest.

“So wait.” The raven pleaded, cradling the side of Eren’s head with his free hand. “Give it some time.”

The way the younger demon sighed made Rivaille aware that he wouldn’t agree to stay, no matter what argument was presented.

“There isn’t any time.” Eren stated, frustration rising in his tone. “I have to go and I have to go now. Please don’t fight me on this.”

Rivaille didn’t want to fight him. Eren had only just grown close to him, had only just surrendered. They couldn’t risk a quarrel so soon. But whatever Eren was being summoned to do…it couldn’t be good. Naturally not; one didn’t summon a child of Hell for good deeds. But Eren was not at his full strength and so, fight or flight, he would be at a disadvantage.

Or would he? Rivaille berated himself silently, remembering that Eren was just as capable as any demon even without being at the top of his game. Even a weakened demon could prove a devastating foe to something as fragile as a human.

He would be alright. Eren would be fine. He hoped it, anyway, would have prayed for it if that would have done them any good.

What would he do if Eren didn’t make it back, though…

That thought, dark and morbid and unwanted as it was, made itself at home in the raven’s mind. It was probably what prompted his next question.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

Eren stilled, turning his wide eyes on Rivaille with some unreadable look swimming in those brilliant orbs. The brunet reached for him, pausing halfway with an expression caught between pain and confusion. His hand fell back to the floor again.

“I can handle it.” Eren said, swallowing.

Rivaille eyed him, taking in the tremble running through his limbs and the uncertain light in his eyes.

“I’d believe that if you weren’t shaking.” He uttered.

Eren cursed, glancing away. Even holding off a summoning was taking its toll on his body. He still hadn’t recovered to his full strength. Travelling to the next world would be tricky, he would need to focus or risk being trapped before he could cross the Way Through.

But…Levi was in trouble. He couldn’t just leave him alone.

Even though that was what Levi’s voice was telling him to do. Eren could hear it, even though that cracking tone couldn’t seem to form words. The noise was low, a quiet sound in the back of his skull like an evasive memory. It was just a low buzz, an uncertain hum like Levi wasn’t even sure if Eren could hear him or not.

_I hear you, Levi._

_I’m coming. Stay there._

_Just a little longer, Levi._

“You’re safe here, Eren.” Rivaille’s voice brought Eren out of the reverie he was slipping into.

The brunet looked to his mate, reading the concern in his eyes and clenched jaw. Rivaille wouldn’t stop him from leaving, that much Eren knew. He was still too worried over their bond to risk putting a rift between them so soon.

But the look of unease on the wraith’s face made Eren’s own insides twist uncomfortably in a way that had nothing to do with the summoning.

The raven’s grip on Eren’s arm tightened, the sting there flaring up for a moment.

“There’s only so much that I can do to help you once you cross over.” Rivaille said in an urgent tone, pleading with Eren to reconsider.

But Eren knew that, he knew that he would be on his own. That didn’t matter if he could get to Levi. That was all he needed to do right then. Rivaille would be alright without him, a little down and anxious, no doubt, but physically…he should be fine.

Levi, though…he was far less durable. If he was in trouble, then Eren had to get to him. Losing blood was a far more startling crisis for a mortal and Levi must have lost some at least for Eren to be able to feel it now. He could fell the teasing essence of it on his tongue and in his nose, even in the back of his throat – sweet like only the blood of the living could be.

“I know.” The brunet said in a small voice, giving a soft exhale as he allowed himself to fall forwards and against his mate.

Rivaille caught him, making a quiet sound of surprise. But he held the boy tightly regardless. The raven understood the silent goodbye in it, hated the way it pulled at his heartstrings.

“I don’t like this.” The raven muttered, nuzzling the side of the younger demon’s head.

“I know you don’t…but I have to go.” Eren watched Rivaille open his mouth again, ready to argue further, but the brunet leaned forward to capture the raven’s lips in a quick kiss. The action left the wraith stunned for a moment and that silence was all Eren needed to make his case. “If I get into trouble, you’ll know right away in any case. I can’t hide much from you anymore, sweetheart.” He smiled, managing to look both coy and wry in the same moment. “So make use of it. I’ll be careful, I promise, and you can monitor me anyway.”

Rivaille didn’t look completely convinced…but the frown on his face told Eren that he would be getting his way.

And then the raven said something that Eren had not expected.

“If something happens,” Rivaille’s voice began, stern and unyielding as he held the boy’s gaze, “anything you can’t handle on your own, get to the mirrors.”

Eren understood the implications in an instant.

“Rivaille-”

“Don’t argue with me on this.” The raven cut him off, flicking his tongue over his lips to wet them. “Please. I can’t make it through to the living world unaided…” Rivaille clicked his tongue in annoyance, glaring at the stone floor for a moment before his gaze flicked back up, “but I can help you if you get to a mirror.”

The offer of help was less surprising now that they were a properly mated pair, but Eren still raised his eyebrows.

He didn’t have to think for very long before he nodded.

“Alright.” Eren allowed.

Overwhelming relief passed over Rivaille’s face and he let out a short exhale. “Thank you.”

Eren managed a grin, the expression only half as light-hearted as he had intended, but the younger demon leaned closer and butted his head against the older’s anyway.

“Be safe.” Eren murmured, closing his eyes for the brief moment that Rivaille nuzzled him back.

The raven gritted his teeth and released his hold, claws retracting from within the brunet’s arm, and in the next instant Eren was gone, swallowed up by a rush of dark smoke and white-blue light.

“Return to me…” Rivaille pleaded to the empty room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, we find out what's happened to poor Levi under Erwin's care.  
> That probably won't get posted for a few days, cos I'm watching the new Star Wars film tomorrow (WOOOOOOOOOO) and also there's a chapter of Overdose to get edited, but hopefully within the week I'll get chapter 54 all written and edited ^_^


	54. An Unconventional Summoning

Being sleepy had never felt so painful. Limbs aching, brain foggy to escape the stinging. Something was very wrong and suddenly Levi feared sleep. If he slept, that would be it. Somehow he knew it.

Stay awake. Don’t sleep. If you sleep, you die. If you sleep, you _die_.

Why he felt that way was a mystery to his clouded mind and Levi strained to recall where he was. It was dark. His eyes were closed, the lids heavier than they had ever been. There was dust in his nose. His skin felt wet in places.

_Where am I?_

Levi’s sluggish mind tried to pull him under into unconsciousness but he couldn’t quite get there. There was a stinging in his arms, something wet plinking onto the wooden floor. It was annoying. Levi wished the noise would stop.

It unsettled him somehow; he didn’t remember any taps being run.

What was Erwin doing?

Erwin. _Warehouse_.

That was right; the whole ‘blood ritual’ nonsense that Erwin had been going on about moments before setting a knife to Levi’s flesh, cutting into him. Levi’s arms were wet. Something trickled down his fingers in a sluggish trail. He was _bleeding_.

_Am I dying?_

That noise that refused to relent was Erwin’s voice. So annoying, as per usual it was the big, blonde bigot keeping him awake. Erwin’s voice was a near-constant buzz in the background, only pausing for the briefest of moments. Levi couldn’t hear a lot of the words that the other man was saying, only really hearing the buzz of another voice rising and falling in volume. Just when Levi thought he might stop and shut his trap, more noise followed.

Levi recognised the tone of the words, though. What was it? It was the sort of repetitious rise in pitch toward the end of sentences that meant something specific. Curiosity? Looking for answers?

Oh. He was _asking_ something. That’s what the shift in tone meant. Questions. Erwin was asking Levi questions.

And a lot of them.

_“Why do they come here, Levi? There has to be a reason.”_

_“What do they need you for?”_

_“Just tell me their plan and I can let you go.”_

_“I’ll keep you safe, just tell me what I need to know.”_

Questions and promises of protection, security, in exchange for information. Nothing Levi wouldn’t have expected but given their situation it seemed more than a little ridiculous.

After all what protection could a human provide against a demon? Even if Erwin confessed to having an army of humans, it would not be enough.

He was still talking, still asking his queries. Repeating them carefully, slowly, and waiting to see if his captive was willing (or even able) to respond.

It hurt even trying to open his eyes because that required focus and the less Levi focused on anything, the less pain he felt.

Levi was vaguely aware of his own answers surfacing from time to time, falling easily from his mouth in his dazed state. Talking didn’t hurt so much.

“You can’t keep anyone safe…not if a d-demon wants them dead, or for a chew toy.”

Talking was hard, though, and even when Levi could think enough to plan what he would say his mouth didn’t always obey him. He had to pause for air, sometimes his tongue caught on sounds that normally didn’t give him any trouble.

Talking was a pain in the ass, but he did it because while he was talking he wasn’t sleeping.

He couldn’t sleep.

_If you sleep, you die._

So he spoke. Any old words would do, but Levi made sure to give Erwin a taste of the information he so desperately chased after.

“They don’t care about your fancy ideals. Churches? Sacred ground? God? Sacred ground is bullshit; there’s nothing sacred about things that are made by humans. We’re just shitty people trying to make our lives better than everybody else’s. What’s sacred about that? Even if there was a God, why would it love or favour a race as monstrous as humanity? You should try to give up on all this demon monitoring and live a normal life while you still can. All this extra stress is going to give you grey hair.”

In a moment of rather petty spite, Levi wished for Erwin to go bald prematurely. In any other circumstance the thought and its accompanying imagery might have inspired the raven to laugh.

He didn’t feel like laughing right then.

Erwin’s questions continued, more of the same. Who? Why? Blah, blah, blah. At first Levi tried to tune the fucker out but without something to keep his focus on Levi started to get sleepy again. He was forced to pay some attention, then. Levi figured that as long as he could pick out and recognise a few words here and there he would be awake enough to be out of immediate danger.

He hoped.

It worked for a while until Erwin got in close and his voice became clearer. Levi didn’t have to strain to make out what he was saying anymore but that was hardly any kind of relief.

By about the fifth variation of “what do the demons need you for?” Levi had had enough. He was tired, literally bleeding to death in some crusty warehouse, and Erwin needed to shut the fuck up with his pompous assuming.

“They don’t…need me for anything.” Opening his eyes seemed harder than ever, the lids fighting to stay closed against his best efforts. He caught the barest sliver of light through framing lashes. Saw the outline of what could have been Erwin’s shoe a few metres away. “You want to know…what humans are to them, huh?” A pause. Levi swallowed, feeling his dry throat itch in protest. “We’re fast food.”

Erwin wasn’t happy with that answer and his voice got louder to communicate his displeasure.

Couldn’t he just be quiet for a bit? Didn’t he realise that his nagging wasn’t only annoying as hell but it was contributing to Levi’s growing headache.

Levi groaned, feeling a new ache developing in his neck. He opened his eyes with some struggle, lids finally peeling back when he willed them to, and he noticed immediately that his vision was slanted. The world was at an odd tilt. Levi figured he must have slumped over in his seat some time ago to be feeling the ache of it now.

He tensed, trying to sit upright again. He failed to do so.

Had his head always been so damned heavy? It was becoming a real inconvenience and Levi wondered why his muscles refused to cooperate. Then he noticed the red drops marring the floor, managing to source the liquid to cuts on his arms. Ah yes, he was bleeding. Now he remembered. Seeing the wounds was doubly unsettling. The thin skin from his wrist to the inner crease of his elbow had various gashes, all of them oozing scarlet. They couldn’t have been too deep or he’d be dead by now.

Either that or Levi had been there for less time than he thought. He’d lost enough blood to be sluggish. Moving was difficult. If he focused enough, the raven could make out smears of red across the floor in patterns that had to be part of Erwin’s summoning ritual. It hadn’t worked.

Eren wasn’t there. That was probably for the best. There was no knowing how the demon boy would have reacted seeing Levi in such a state. And smelling his blood in the air…Levi had no doubt that he would have quickly become Eren’s next snack.

Levi wondered if he would die there, tied down, bleeding out, and with the absolute last person that he’d ever want to share a room with. It would be an ironic end. If there had been a God, Levi would have assumed that they hated him.

But there wasn’t, so they didn’t, which left little to no meaning to his impending death.

It would be better if Erwin would shut the fuck up. Then at least Levi could let himself go and drift away in peace. He was still muttering away in the background, less composed now than he had been earlier. The guy sure was passionate about all this demonic palaver. Levi had to wonder if the man had even seen one before apart from Eren. Had he ever seen what a demon could look like under the human façade?

Not that Levi had seen even Eren go full demon in the flesh. He was fairly sure he didn’t want to see that.

He was fairly certain by this point that he would never see it, regardless of wants or wishes.

Across the room, Erwin said his name again. Twice more. Levi heard a hissed scoff, possibly irritation, and he couldn’t help the flickering of hate that stirred in his chest. How did this man have the gall to be frustrated with someone he’d cut into and left to bleed dry?

Levi wanted to gut him for it. Didn’t have the tools to do so. Would have used his bare hands if he could get free.

It would be brutal enough to make even a demon proud of his violence.

He forced himself to sober up a little, realising that was a stupid decision when the pain that had been creeping through his sluggish mind rose up viciously.

Erwin didn’t seem to notice his pained noises, pacing back and forth and hissing to himself.

“There has to be something more-”

“You’re so…self-righteous.” Levi was surprised when his sluggish, rasping words managed to successfully interrupt the big man. Erwin stopped, freezing, and turned his eyes on the bound raven. “The problem with you Bible pushers…is that you’re always assuming that there’s a greater purpose…where there isn’t one.”

“Levi-”

“Sh-Shut it, eyebrows.” Levi tried not to panic when his words slurred against his will. No, focus, don’t fade now. “Shut up and just l-listen.”

Erwin actually fell quiet, not moving to interject with his own opinion for once in his life.

Levi took that as his chance to speak, to try and drill home his words even though he knew in his heart that it was useless.

Erwin would only ever believe his own words, would twist the information he found to fit his theories.

“There’s no God.” Levi tried to shake his head before remembering that moving hurt. He muffled a pained sound through closed lips, gritting his teeth before continuing on. “No angels. No Heaven waiting to give souls eternal paradise. There’s only Hell and s-second chances.”

“So you keep saying. You know I can’t believe that, so what are you trying to do?”

“I’m not trying to do anything. I’m just saying…so what…what makes you think that these demons are anything like the movies?”

Erwin frowned, Levi could see it if he strained, and he wasn’t surprised to see the confusion on the other man’s face. He’d always been that way, assuming things were more complicated than they were. There always had to be something more with him.

At this point, Levi was sure that stubbornness would be the death of Erwin.

“Maybe they don’t have a motive, Erwin.” Levi drawled, noticing that his eyes had blurred, blinking a few times until his vision cleared up. “Maybe they don’t give a fuck and all the messed up shit that they do is for shits and giggles.”

Erwin was being oddly quiet but Levi knew better than to hope that his words were sinking into that thick skull of his. No doubt he was just angry that Levi wouldn’t break and spill the big plans that he was so sure the children of Hell were organising.

Levi would talk until he was cut off. “Did you even stop to consider that?” He asked, raising one eyebrow. If Erwin took it as a challenge, he’d be right. “There is no greater purpose. They’re just bored.”

The blonde shook his head, solemn and unwavering. “I refuse to believe that.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake.”

The verbal outburst meant nothing. Levi wouldn’t have expected anything less of Erwin Smith. Too calculating for his own good.

Or anyone else’s.

He was pacing again. Levi would have rolled his eyes if he hadn’t thought it would make his headache worse.

“No one just murders hundreds of innocent human lives.” The priest all but hissed the words.

“Don’t make me fucking laugh. There are human beings on this fucking planet that have killed more than most of the demons in Hell ever would. And we’re the ones who are supposed to have fucking souls! We’re the real monsters, Erwin! Destroying our planet, destroying each other. And for what? Money? Power? Infamy? It doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter, because no matter what supposedly great possessions you can get in this world, you can’t take them with you once you kick the bucket. We have so many chances to do things right, but all humanity does is fuck itself over again and again. Picture that; picture all that chaos from beings that have souls.”

Levi paused, waiting.

Erwin didn’t interrupt immediately, so the raven knew that he had the other man’s attention.

Good. He had to get this message across.

Levi raised his head as much as he could manage, catching Erwin’s eye and holding his gaze for a long moment. “Now imagine what a creature without a soul would do.”

It was a sinister line and he delivered it well enough to make Erwin swallow. The blonde’s gaze flickered around the room, taking things in like he was only just seeing them, and Levi wondered if the priest was beginning to regret his brazen move. Kidnapping a so-called demon’s ‘prize’? That was a stupid move in anyone’s books.

Erwin was playing a dangerous game. And with a little luck, Levi would be able to convince him that there was no way for humanity to become the winning side in this kind of conflict.

Well…not unless they were one of the demons’ precious, human playthings. Ridiculous as it seemed, Levi had that advantage.

It was not something that Erwin could claim.

“They don’t care about anything,” Levi continued, voice low, trying to push reason into the blonde’s mind, “not money or power over a whole damned planet. They’ve already got us right where they want us. We’re conveniently trapped in our little lives. It doesn’t matter what weapons you bring, their weapons are better. They are their own weapons. There is _nothing_ that humans have that they could possibly want except for one thing.” The raven paused for a moment to keep Erwin’s attention. “We make great fucking snacks.”

Erwin swallowed again, the noise of it audible in the quiet space. A long moment passed and Levi chose to remain silent, waiting, hoping that maybe his words had sunk in.

“That’s…really it?” The blonde asked.

Levi nodded, slow so that there could be no mistaking the motion. “Whatever you think, whatever you and your fucking bosses might have dreamed up,” another pause, “there is no plan.”

“No…plan?”

“No. There are no motives outside of a giant fucking appetite. Demons do whatever they want. Why? Because they can. End of story. Fullstop. Goodnight Susan.”

And wasn’t that the truth of it? Eren came to Earth and chose to love a human, despite his whole being trying to tie him to another of his Hell-bound kin. Eren’s fiancé did whatever he pleased, even setting anger and the desire to hurt on his own mate. And who knew what the other demons did? Probably more of the same.

“Then why haven’t you been eaten yet?” Erwin asked and his question made Levi freeze.

That was a good point. In the early days of his and Eren’s…what? It hadn’t been a relationship at first. Whatever they had shared, Levi had been sure that he would somehow wind up dead under those tanned hands and jewel-like eyes. He’d expected to become just another corpse in a back alley, bleeding out under a manic smile.

And now…that seemed a lot less fucked up than the situation he had landed himself in. In love with a demon who belonged to another demon, currently kidnapped to lure his demonic lover back to be captured and interrogated by some secret organisation of priests?

Situations didn’t get much more complicated than that.

So why hadn’t Levi become demon chow? Well there were a lot of reasons.

Because he had provided entertainment for the demon who’d promised to kill him one day. Because Eren got soft, grew attached. Because Eren’s fiancé wasn’t there on Earth to tear him a new one.

“Fuck if I know.” Levi said instead. He really didn’t want to get into anything that would require actual thinking. “He’ll eat me one day. The fucker said so himself.”

Hopefully that plan had changed with the confession of “I love you”.

“That doesn’t bother you?” Erwin sounded surprised.

No wonder; Levi had stated the words like they were nothing. He didn’t believe that Eren would eat him and even if he did, at least Levi could look forward to a well-needed rest after that.

Unless his soul ended up in Hell. In which case he would have a good laugh with Eren and his fiancé. Wouldn’t that just be a lark?

“What exactly am I supposed to do about it?” Levi answered eventually, letting go of a deep sigh that made his neck hurt when he relaxed into the exhale. He shrugged to the best of his ability. “I could be dead already. Figured I’d at least be grateful for being allowed to live a little longer.”

And now he may die right there, in the cold of some nondescript warehouse with half of his body numb and the other half stinging or cramping.

“And you don’t think that it’s possible that you’re being kept alive for some greater purpose?”

Wasn’t that the question that everyone asked themselves? Aren’t I alive for some greater purpose?

“Look, I really don’t care.” Levi said.

What he meant by that, however, was that it didn’t matter. Greater purpose or not, everyone died eventually. All Levi wanted was to live the life he did have and enjoy it as much as he was able.

That was proving to be a lot more difficult than he might have otherwise thought.

“You should. This is your life that we’re talking about here, Levi-”

“And you seem to care _so_ much more than I do, clearly.” Levi cut him off, flexing the fingers of both hands to draw Erwin’s attention to his arms.

The blonde looked at the floor. “I needed your blood to complete the ritual. It couldn’t have been anyone else’s; your demon won’t come for anyone but you.”

“Then where is he?” Levi challenged. “You sure you didn’t read some of your preisty hocus pocus wrong?”

“I don’t know. It should have worked.” Erwin sighed as he glanced at his work on the ground, chalk and blood and candles lying useless. The blonde exhaled through his nose, turning his narrowed gaze on the raven a moment later. “Don’t change the subject.”

Another shrug came from Levi and he winced at the action. He really needed to stop forgetting about that – movement = pain. He wetted dry lips with a swipe of his tongue.

“I don’t know why Eren didn’t kill me first chance he got. Trying to figure out what’s going on inside a demon’s head is a good way to give yourself a headache, so I stopped trying. I just…I just want the kid to be okay. I want us to be okay and I don’t want to think about all the fucked up things that come with that.”

Erwin shook his head but to his credit he managed to look somewhat sympathetic. Levi wondered if that was how Erwin felt towards him – wanting to forget about everything and just get back together.

_Good fucking luck with that, scumbag._

“You can’t continue like this.” Erwin said. “You think you’re his lover? Wrong. They don’t see humans like that. We’re like animals to them, Levi.”

“We _are_ animals, you giant fuck.” The raven sneered back at him.

“What I’m trying to say is that you are not this creature’s equal.” Erwin continued, frustration creeping into his tone more and more. “To it, you are a pet at best. You are a _toy_ , a source of amusement until it tires of you.”

Levi narrowed his eyes at the blonde, wanting to lash out but he couldn’t. “FYI, _he_ seems to think that I’m pretty fucking interesting.”

“ _Why_ are you with him?” Erwin crouched by the chair suddenly, his words caught between a whisper and a hiss. “He’s a _demon_ , Levi. A monster-”

“ _Aren’t we all_?” Levi hissed right back at him, vicious enough that the blonde winced at the words. “I’m with him because I love the little fucking nightmare brat. Because he gave enough of a damn to chase after me and pester the fuck out of me when I kept saying no. Because he’s not the fierce, ferocious Hell spawn that he _should_ be, he’s a fucking puppy, and the poor kid doesn’t deserve to live in a fucking pit of fire. He deserves flowers and dates and all that happily ever after romance that I’m not good at. But I’ll fucking _try_ if it’ll put a smile on his goofy damned face. Because out of _all the people_ out there, this kid gets it. He _gets_ me. And if that isn’t some God-given miracle then we might as well give up now.”

Silence took over and, looking into Erwin’s eyes so closely, Levi saw something break in the man. Something died and Levi wondered if he had just killed Erwin’s final hope to convince him to let go of his demonic lover and ‘come back to the light’.

Erwin took in a deep breath, exhaled long and slow. He ran one, massive hand over his face. Looked Levi in the eye. Looked away.

“I believe you.” The big man said finally. He sounded…devastated. “It just…it makes me sad that the only man you’ve ever truly loved _back_ was born in Hell.”

When Erwin put it like that, Levi really did want to laugh. He managed to crack a tiny smile, barely more than a twitch of his lips.

“He wasn’t _born_ in Hell.” Levi said in the quiet. “He just…ended up there.” Another pause swallowed his words for a moment as the raven considered his own thoughts. “We’re all someone before we die and where do you think angels and demons come from anyway?”

Erwin gave a wry chuckle, almost as if in agreement, and looked up.

“I thought you said there weren’t any angels or a God?”

Grey eyes finally rolled and yep, that didn’t do any wonders for his headache. “There aren’t, shut up. It was a figure of speech.” Levi huffed. “Trust me, if there were angels I think your people would know about it.”

Surprisingly, Erwin nodded at that. Amazing; there was something left on Earth that they could agree on.

“We’re getting off topic.” The big blonde said simply, getting up out of his crouch and standing again. “Is there anything you can tell me?”

“I don’t know what the fuck you want me to say. Unless you want to tell me I’ve got some demonic STI?”

“Doubtful.” Erwin said, screwing up his nose in distaste. “What about gifts? Or tokens of favour?”

Levi sighed, shaking his head.

“Any item of value could have meaning.” Erwin persisted, pressing clasped hands against his mouth in thought. “Even cheap trinkets could hold a whole world of purpose to the right person. Demons chase all kinds of odd rituals, from courtship to a mark of ownership, or even something to promote fertility.”

Now _that_ got Levi’s attention.

Levi scoffed, a smirk tugging up one corner of his mouth. Maybe he was getting delirious but that last comment really amused him.

“Well I hardly think Eren is going to give me a fertility bracelet or whatever. It’s one thing putting a surprise baby Jesus into Mary’s unsuspecting womb, but putting the antichrist into a dude?” Levi actually snorted at that. “Yeah, no. I hate to break it to you...actually, no, I am _extremely_ _relieved_ to break it to you that I, a man, cannot get pregnant. I’m not going to have any kids unless Eren turns himself into some she-devil and does a _really_ good job of convincing me to stop being gay.”

Erwin shook his head, unimpressed by the raven’s snarky comments. “Another reason why it’s a shame that you’re not going to bring any children into this world.” He murmured.

Levi risked another eyeroll and was pleased when it didn’t make the backs of his eyes ache too much.

“Well I wouldn’t be doing that even without Eren.” The raven muttered, tone dry. “Or have you forgotten that gay plus non-sperm donor equals zero chance of biological children?”

“I remember.” Erwin replied. He sounded tired. Tired of Levi’s bullshit, most likely. “It’s just a shame because you’re still beautiful.”

“You might want to shut up now. I will hit you for going there with your wasted relationships BS.”

“And it’s a crime that no one else will ever get a chance to look like you.” Erwin finished.

Instead of getting pissed, Levi found himself letting go of a dry chuckle. “Heh. Well you never know. Maybe Eren is planning to give me a new piercing that will let me have some hell-spawn or something?” He joked. “Then you can be their twisted godfather or whatever. I’m sure with a family tree as fucked up as a demon’s plus a human’s, it would look almost normal.”

When he next met Erwin’s gaze, the other man was glaring at him.

“I don’t appreciate your sarcasm.” Erwin said.

Levi scoffed. “I know that. Why do you think I’m always such a sarcastic fuck?”

Erwin gave a slow nod at that, accepting the information for what it was. He was quiet, then, and it was a pleasant reprieve.

Until he asked his next question.

“Have you been to Hell?” The blonde asked.

“What…for like, vacation or something?” Levi stared at him with as much incredulity as he could muster. “Are you _nuts_?”

“Shame.” The other man murmured. “I was hoping that you would be able to help.”

Levi had thought he’d felt cold before. Hearing those words fall from Erwin’s mouth, however, put a new ice in his veins.

Outside, the sporadic pitter-patter of light rain started up.

“ _Help?_ Why would you want to go to Hell?” Levi couldn’t believe it.

This was their whole plan after all.

“To put an end to these monsters.” Erwin replied, far too calmly for any sane person. “Once and for all.”

These stupid fuckers, Erwin and his mystery organisation, were honestly planning to take the fight with the demons to Hell. A fight that didn’t exist because there _was no fight_. There was no fighting against fucking demons.

These fools were doomed.

Levi swallowed. “Good luck with that.”

Drops pelted the windows and outside, a brilliant bolt of lightning illuminated the blackened sky.

So it was night time, then?

Wait. When had it started raining?

Levi’s eyes widened and he felt more awake than he had since before Erwin had stuck him with a knife.

“You should leave. Now.” The raven said, quick and clipped.

Erwin cocked his head, confused. “Why?”

A shattering noise broke the quiet and both men stiffened. Something like thunder rolled through the air…only it wasn’t thunder.

And human beings didn’t growl.

Levi’s eyes snapped up, catching Erwin’s alarmed, blue gaze.

“That’s why.” Levi muttered.

He strained to see more, but even bound and limited as he was in his current position, Levi still noticed when the room began to get darker.

Erwin’s carefully placed torches were going out. And much faster than was possible for any one person to be responsible for.

The blonde turned on his heel, striding for Levi without a moment’s hesitation.

“Call off your attack dog and we can talk things through.” Erwin demanded.

He had that knife in hand again and Levi felt the cold metal pressing against his throat as Erwin stood by his chair.

“He’s not my attack dog.” Levi spoke carefully, conscious off the weapon that could leave him choking on air and his own gore in a heartbeat. “I’m the pet here, remember?”

It had gotten awfully dark awfully fast. Only two torches remained; the one behind Levi and one across the space above Erwin’s supply bag.

Levi could hear skittering – the terrible scrape of claws against the concrete of the floor. It happened all around them, the source of the noise seeming to come from a different direction every few seconds.

A strike of lightning slammed into the ground outside, somewhere close by, and Levi caught sight of a tail disappearing behind a crate. Directly across the room.

“I wouldn’t try anything if I were you, beast.” Erwin called out to the room. His voice echoed. “Come too close and my hand might slip.”

“Don’t _taunt_ him, you fucking idiot.”

The next growl seemed to come from right beside then and Levi almost jumped, just barely managing to remain utterly still. If he moved, jerked too violently, he could end his own life.

Erwin stiffened, only seeming to stay grounded by Levi’s hiss of alarm.

The blonde looked down at the raven, making sure he hadn’t cut him too seriously. There was a thin line of red where he had pressed a little harder than intended, but nothing fatal.

Not yet.

Erwin looked up at the same time as Levi did and both men tensed.

When had all those mirrors gotten there?

Panels of the silvery glass were resting against stacks of crates all around the room. It was difficult to see but Levi could see many of the mirrors even in the gloom, catching golden light from the remaining torches catching the glass.

Remaining _torch_. Only one was lit, now, and it was the one directly behind them.

Erwin swallowed audibly.

Levi gripped the arms of his chair.

“What’s all this, then? What are you doing, Eren?”

A low growl sounded and this time Levi had no idea where it was coming from. It sounded close…all around them, but all at once this time. Almost as if…

…as if Eren was above them.

Levi couldn’t look up at the angle he was at and he was glad mostly because that would have just tipped Erwin off.

“Come on now, demon…show yourself.”

Eren did exactly as Erwin asked, although not in the way the blonde might have expected. Levi didn’t see the brunet drop down from the ceiling but he heard the rush of air above and the thump and shout that Erwin gave as he was sent hurtling forward by something that slammed into him. The blonde stumbled violently, his knife clattering to the ground, and Levi felt the chair he was bound to jerk violently as clawed hands slashed at the arms. Careful so as to miss the raven’s skin, Levi’s binds were cut through.

Levi was hauled out of his seat and sent sprawling, Eren’s shove harder then either of them had expected. The raven almost fell flat on his face, managing to catch himself on the crates. At a hiss from Eren, who did not turn away from a recovering Erwin to look at him, Levi stumbled onwards and into the dark of the warehouse.

Away and out of sight of the blonde, Levi listened to the ring of metal against concrete. Erwin had another of his tools. A weapon?

Something whistled through the air. There was a shout. Erwin’s voice.

A hiss sounded. Pained. A bellow of rage. Eren’s voice.

Was he hurt? Levi couldn’t tell. He’d barely been able to see the brunet when Eren had landed, only catching sight of the fuzz of his tail and flashes of skin and brown hair as Eren had turned him about, shoved him away.

The raven looked back now, gritting his teeth and forcing his dizzy mind not to give in just yet. If Eren were at his full strength then this business would be over by now. Levi could still hear Erwin’s voice, grunts and breaths escaping the man. He was fighting. Eren’s fierce snarls meant that the brunet was fighting, too.

There shouldn’t have _been_ a fight. Eren was a fucking demon.

How drained was he? What had he been through before this? What had he been through just to get here now? Travelling between worlds had to be draining.

Eren was weak…weaker than he should have been. Levi couldn’t abandon him.

Pushing shaky, reluctant limbs onwards, Levi headed back. He tried to call out but his throat wouldn’t let words pass. The last light of the remaining torch was his only guide besides the noises of a skirmish.

A pained shout split the air. Erwin’s this time.

Eren’s following hiss was one of victory.

Levi rounded the last stack of crates, laying eyes on the scene. He watched Erwin, alone in the centre space, turning on the spot warily. Eren’s reflection glittered in every mirror, tanned skin marred with…were those bite marks?

Eren was bruised all over, his skin a mix of different stages of healing. Erwin couldn’t have been responsible for all that. There was a puncture mark in the brunet’s side. A silver arrow lay on the ground near Erwin’s feet and the man held a crossbow. Eren’s left hand was steaming where he must have removed the arrow once it had struck him.

That Erwin was responsible for.

Levi could see Eren in every mirror but he couldn’t spot the brat’s physical form anywhere. And then the reflections were gone and Eren was there in the flesh again, darting at Erwin from behind. He snarled, though, and the blonde heard him coming. He turned, ducking down to snatch up the fallen arrow, and swiped it in the brunet’s direction with a vicious swing of his arm.

Eren hissed and threw his body away, twisting out of the path of the arrow. He spun into another mirror and his physical form was lost again.

Levi understood. Eren was using the mirrors to hide, to dart about the room without Erwin ever knowing where he was until the last moment. That was why Eren needed so many of the glass panels. That was why they were all there suddenly.

Erwin seemed to catch on to this idea, turning and hurrying to the nearest mirror. He smashed it, jamming the arrow through the silvery glass and turning it to shattered rubble. The blonde began striding for another. He had two broken before Eren emerged again, catching the big man by surprise with a silent approach this time.

Blood appeared under Eren’s teeth as he sank his jaws into Erwin’s shoulder. He almost made it to the human’s throat, which could have easily been a fatal blow, had the blond not seen Levi’s look of alarm in the mirror he had been about to shatter. Erwin had flinched away in the nick of time, not managing to escape entirely.

The blonde howled in pain, but he was already jamming the arrow in his hand back.

The crunch of the shaft puncturing Eren’s skull was sickening. Levi’s mouth fell open but no screams left him.

Eren reeled back with a squeal that Levi was sure would haunt his nightmares for years to come.

If they all didn’t die right there, that was.

Even with what should have been a fatal injury, Eren continued to thrash. He was very much alive, but in bad shape. There was one mirror close to him. All three of them looked to it, Levi with wide eyes, Erwin with determination, and Eren’s orbs filled with a terrible decision. Even crazed as he was and in agony, those eyes seemed to know that what he was about to do was wrong.

Levi started forward. He had to get to Eren, had to shield him from Erwin who was striding across the floor.

To get to Eren. To kill him, maybe? Or to break the mirror first? Cut off the demon’s escape route before landing more blows.

Erwin staggered, moving quickly.

Levi wasn’t going to make it. He choked on a sound of alarm. A sob of apology escaped his throat at last.

Eren’s eyes snapped over to him for the barest of moments before he rolled towards the mirror, one arm outstretched.

Outside, the weather intensified. Rain hit the warehouse roof like it was trying to beat its way through the ceiling and wash humanity away. Drops pelted the roof, the windows, the floor inside where the water could reach thanks to the broken window that Eren had entered through. The sudden noise of it all was deafening.

Eren lunged for the mirror, getting a single hand up against the silver glass, and a clap of thunder boomed overhead, impossibly loud. It was like the earth was cracking in half.

Levi’s hands shot up to cover his ears but the sound was over before he’d even completed the action.

What was stranger was that Eren’s form didn’t disappear. He had no reflection in the mirror for a moment, his careful magic illusion proving too much effort in his drained state. But Eren hadn’t left.

So what had he needed the mirror for?

Thunder crackled overhead again, still too loud, too frequent. There was barely a pause in the deafening noise of it all.

And then the noise came to a rushing stop, just for a single, solitary second.

All Hell broke loose, figuratively speaking.

Windows all around them cracked and shattered, sending glass flying outwards from the building. Levi could see the shards go flying off into the distance thanks to the ceaseless lightning striking. Wind howled, rushing in, whipping up Levi’s hair. Freezing raindrops reached Levi’s skin, stinging his already chilled flesh.

Light burst forth from the mirror. It was so bright that Levi closed his eyes on instinct, fearing they would be burned in their sockets. More than light; he could feel heat too. The warmth was scorching, it burned even with his eyes closed, and Levi backed away with his eyes still wrenched tightly shut. He stumbled blindly, his side crashing into a stack of boxes. He went down, arms coming up to protect his head, but never felt the unforgiving caress of the concrete floor.

Instead he felt warmth. Something warm enough that it felt like fire to his icy skin.

Arms. Someone was holding him.

Erwin? Had Erwin got a hold of him?

Something beastly snarled in his ear, the sound like an echo of the thunder above, and Levi felt fingers tipped in claws pressing into his skin and the coil of what could only be a tail wrapping about his waist.

Eren. It was Eren. It had to be.

“Eren?” Levi croaked.

Another growl. Levi was sure. Who else would be able to cause all this? But…Eren had been weak. Had it been a façade? No, Eren would never risk a game like that with Levi’s life on the line.

Would he?

“ _Get him out of here._ ”

The voice shook the warehouse; Levi could literally feel the ground trembling under his feet. The words made his skull scream out in pain, like his bones were on the verge of shattering and all from being exposed to that inhuman tone.

_That_ wasn’t Eren. Wasn’t Erwin. Who _was_ that?

What…what had Eren done when he’d touched that mirror? Mirrors were for travel…and Eren hadn’t travelled through. So…

…so who had? _What_ had?

Levi couldn’t see. He couldn’t tell if his eyes were open or closed because either option seemed to leave it too dark and too bright. The ground was shaking violently now, even over the screaming wind Levi heard the startling crack of concrete and the splintering of wooden walls. The warehouse was coming down. Crates were clacking against each other all around him and even that was barely audible over the whipping wind and the thunderous downpour. Levi was soaked and he knew that if the lightning struck near to them now he would be done for. He could barely hear anything over the screaming of the wind outside. Inside. The wind was _everywhere_. It felt like a goddamned hurricane had simultaneously started up over the city.

Eren couldn’t cause something like that.

So who…

Levi choked on a sound that he could feel but not hear. He doubted anyone could hear him.

Oh no.

Eren was already moving, tugging Levi into his arms more securely, picking him up.

“ _Catch you later, little mate._ ” That terrible voice spoke again.

The tremors of it had Levi shrieking, flailing and scratching to be freed, to run from that _sound_ that was trying to crawl under his skin and break his bones until he was nothing but powder and empty skin. That voice shook his very being.

It _hurt_ and Eren was pulling him away from that horror at last, but it was too late.

Levi knew who was there to save them. And it was someone, some- _thing_ , that was never meant to have been let free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does that count as a cliffhanger? I can't tell the difference these days.
> 
> Also hi. Don't kill me, please. Feedback, if you wouldn't mind. Let's chat.
> 
> Sooo sorry about the wait. By now 'wait' should be written in all caps and put in bold with this face - o_o after it.


	55. Painless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update! :D

Snippets of consciousness filtered through Levi’s awareness. Cold and wet were the first sensations he felt, along with the stinging of open wounds being pelted by…was that rain?

Levi wondered if he was dreaming, because the next thing he felt was stinging heat throughout his body, and then something soft was pressed against him. No, he was pressed against it. Was he in bed?

He must be dreaming.

Something growled in his ear but Levi felt no fear at the beastly sound. There were no words, just that low, quiet growling. Like listening to a tiger purr.

The softness was welcoming, and warm now that Levi noticed, and the raven didn’t waste any more thoughts on that as he let the first comfort he’d felt in days lull him to rest.

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell happened to you guys?”

That was not the voice that Levi had expected to hear upon waking up. Then again anything was better than listening to Erwin blather on about nonsense of the war on demons while re-entering consciousness.

He noticed first that he felt like complete and utter crap, his body aching in a way that made him want to crawl into a hole and die. And yet the immediate sting that would have come from open cut wounds was not present. Interesting.

The second thing that he noticed was that he was in Hanji’s house. That was made obvious not only by the woman’s voice stirring him from sleep, but also when he opened his eyes and found himself in the living room. Although the place was in a different setup than Levi remembered it; when he’d last left the place had looked quite different. Quite a bit of the furniture had moved, but it was all still there. Something told Levi that this was not Hanji’s doing; even _she_ wasn’t that weird. The couch and armchairs had been pulled together, arranged carefully into some kind of makeshift nest, and the raven-haired man swam in cushions and blankets.

Well now Levi didn’t need to wonder what had felt so soft, although his earlier assumption of being in bed had been dead wrong. Hanji’s living room furniture made for a surprisingly comfortable nest.

What a weird thought to have. Even after all this time, demon lingo was a strange concept.

Levi would have been confused, but the more he thought about it, he guessed it made sense for him to be here. Hanji’s place was definitely homier than the flat. Even if Eren had taken them back to the old apartment it would still have been trashed.

Oh. That’s right.

The third thing Levi noticed was Eren. The demon was a startlingly warm presence against his back, feverish even considering his inhuman nature. But the heat had done wonders for the raven-haired man after the cold and what Levi could only assume was a memory of being carried through the rain. He was dry now though. Had someone changed his clothes?

Levi shifted, rolling over with some difficultly in the brunet’s vice-like grip, but he managed to get himself seated against the back of the sofa.

Eren had latched onto his torso, face resting in the raven’s lap, and the rest of him sprawled under the blankets. The kid wasn’t even breathing and Levi almost panicked at that before he remembered that Eren had only ever breathed around him so that he wouldn’t freak out. Eren could breathe but he didn’t have to. It was a habit at best, something to calm himself and his human. Eren had always kept up the habit whenever he was around the raven. Now Levi really saw why; it was terrifying to see someone lying so still, no pulse, no rising and falling of their chest.

Lifeless. The brunet finally seemed like the demon he was.

Eren looked half dead even without taking it into account that he wasn’t drawing breath. The brunet looked like he had been beaten under vicious hands. His once flawless skin was bruised in various shades. Levi made out more than one spot where the bruises looked all too much like hands, fingers, and he avoided testing out the thought that told him those blotchy marks would match the shape of his own hands. Eren was marred with half-crescent markings that couldn’t be anything other than leftover impressions of teeth. He had been bitten and none too gently at that. Not just one bite, but many – they littered the demon boy’s skin from throat to thigh. Eren wasn’t bleeding, but his skin had dried blood in smears and streaks and God knows what else.

_What have you been through, Eren..?_

“Levi..?”

Levi looked up this time when he heard Hanji’s voice, noting the uncharacteristic concern in his friend’s eyes, and he wondered what he must look like.

It couldn’t have been more than a day.

Levi sighed. It was about the only thing he could do that didn’t hurt in some place or other.

“How long have we been here?” He asked.

Levi figured he might as well know now and be able to explain better. There was really no way of getting out of explaining yourself when you turn up in your best friend’s living room, unannounced and covered in your own blood.

Levi knew that he had to explain. It would mean ruining old memories for her – all the good memories of Erwin would be tainted after she heard what had happened.

Hanji blinked at him. She didn’t bother to answer his question.

“What the hell _happened_ , Levi?”

Well that pretty much answered his question of how long they’d been there. To be that distressed, Hanji must have only just found them. Meaning they must have arrived sometime in the night.

Levi had no idea what time it had been when Eren had arrived and he couldn’t remember much after that, not leaving the warehouse, not arriving here. Apart from snippets and what might have been dreams, there was nothing – no solid memories of getting here.

That had all been Eren and until he woke there would be no answers. The demon showed no signs of rousing anytime soon, although it was difficult to tell how deeply he was sleeping without being able to check his breathing. The brunet did not stir at the sound of voices, though, and Levi assumed that the poor kid was passed out.

He’d been through enough lately that Levi didn’t blame him at all.

Eren actually looked like he’d been to Hell and back and Levi meant no joke by that. The demon was a mess, a canvas of violence and sex and death. Who knew, maybe demons were meant to look that way? Most stories of them painted demons as beings of evil and sin, and from the looks of it Eren had had his fair share of sinning during his last trip to Hell. The raven had no idea if all the blood on Eren was the demon’s own, or if some of it was his mate’s. Rivaille seemed like the type to mark a partner in his own blood. It was sick, but you didn’t get more possessive than that. Or maybe it was the blood of something else, even? Some ritual kill? Who knew?

The brunet was filthy and feverish. Levi would have grimaced at being so close if he hadn’t been just as filthy.

Levi took a good look at himself then, cringing at the mess his arms were. Covered in his own blood, in streaks and paths from where the liquid had trailed down to the floor of the warehouse. The closer Levi looked, the more surprised he was. The wounds were closed over now, not open. He wasn’t bleeding but the areas were still tender. His arms were lightly bruised, with darker colours where he had been bound, and scabbed-over cuts. They looked a few days old already but that couldn’t be the case.

Unless a certain demon brat had interfered.

Looking at the sleeping demon again, Levi felt a swell of fondness in his chest. Eren had to have tried to heal him, had probably passed out trying. He obviously hadn’t been able to completely heal Levi’s wounds, but he had done enough to prevent the raven from bleeding out. Eren had saved his life.

The brunet looked worse for wear, bloodied and bruised and exhausted. Yet he had wasted precious energy saving a fragile, human life.

Eren was the worst excuse of a demon that Levi had ever heard of.

And Levi loved him all the more for it.

Hanji was still waiting for some kind of response.

“Sorry for dropping in on you like this.” Levi said finally, reaching down to push his fingers through Eren’s messy hair. “Fucked up doesn’t really begin to cover what we’ve been through.”

Levi wondered what to tell Hanji. The truth, obviously – he wouldn’t lie to his friend. He had to tell her what had happened or he could be putting her in danger. Erwin had already tried capturing Levi as bait for one of his traps. There was no way of knowing whether he would use one of their other friends to bait Levi next time around.

If there was a next time. If Erwin wasn’t dead already.

Yet another question for Eren when the brunet finally woke.

“Levi…please just…what happened?” Hanji was closer, leaning her hands against the back of one of the armchairs. “You were gone for two days and then you turn up like this?”

Had it really only been two days? Levi felt like it had been a week, but awful experiences always did feel like they stretched on forever.

“It’s been fucking horrible, to be honest.” Levi admitted. Horrible didn’t quite cover it, but without combining several curse words and some helpful adjectives, Levi felt like he would never be able to accurately describe just how unpleasant his time had been. “You might want to delete Erwin’s number from your phone. He’s-”

“He did this to you?” Hanji cut him off, gripping the back of the armchair hard enough that her knuckles were white from the strain. Levi heard them crack in protest. “Erwin’s the one who did this to you both? To Eren? I’ll tear his fucking throat out-”

“Hanji, let me talk.” Levi interrupted before she could plan anyone’s death. “Yes, Erwin did this to me. Eren is another matter; we’ll ask him when he wakes.”

Hanji seemed to be stuck on the Erwin part, unable to comprehend that he could do something like this. Or maybe she was wondering how any of them could have missed that he was a psycho?

Levi sure wondered how he’d ever missed it.

“Erwin…what?” Hanji struggled to find words. “How could he do this to you? Is this because you moved on? Is that it?”

Levi shook his head.

“Then…why?” She forced out the words.

“Oh he’s only part of some secretive organisation of holy fuckers who think they’re demon hunters.” Levi muttered with no small amount of sarcasm. “And this is the best goddamned part here; they’re trying to go to Hell.”

If there was a stupider plan that existed, Levi did not know about it. He was pretty sure that making the phrase ‘go to Hell’ your life goal was a sure-fire way to put you on the fast track to an early grave.

“Demon hunters?” Hanji repeated in query, piecing together what she was being told. “Was he…after Eren then?”

It made sense that Hanji jump right to the issue at hand. She was a good listener and quick to connect the dots. Levi had no idea how he was going to explain all of the details to her. It was a long and unpleasant story.

“Bingo.” He said in reply to her question. “Turns out I was just bait.”

And didn’t that just sting? Being used again, by the same man, only for him to be chasing something else. Erwin was a piece of work…and the worst part was that Levi was certain that Erwin had no idea how bad of a human being he was. All that passion had driven him to become a fanatic, and Erwin didn’t even see that he was doing things that could potentially make him as bad as the monsters he chased.

Or thought he was chasing. Demons could travel anywhere in seconds with access to mirrors, Levi had learned that much. He wasn’t sure how it worked but he did know that no demon would leave a trail if they travelled that way.

So whatever leads Erwin and his people thought they had were false. The demons they hunted were just toying with them, making a game of leading the humans about on a wild goose chase on a global scale.

“Are you guys alright, though? You look awful.”

Trust Hanji to be honest. Levi couldn’t disagree with her statement, though; he was a mess and Eren was wrecked in a category all of his own.

“He really did a number on me.” Levi agreed, sighing. “Don’t worry, though, Erwin didn’t hurt the little twerp.”

Levi ran fingers through messy hair, ignoring the less than clean condition they were both in for now. He was just glad that they were both alive. Alive and safe, for the time being.

“Eren’s alright, then?” Hanji asked, concern lacing her tone.

She was right to be worried. Even Levi was worried; Eren hadn’t moved since Levi had woken up. Not to stretch, not to blink, not to breathe. His grip around the raven-haired man was tight and it would not relent even as Levi had moved to sit up, but Eren himself did not stir.

“I won’t say yes until he’s woken.” Levi answered, feeling his own voice creeping with worry. “He’s…I wouldn’t say he was in danger. I don’t know whether Erwin is hunting for him or not.”

“Hunting for Eren?” Hanji raised her eyebrows, then frowned. “Is he mad or just persistent?”

 _Both_ , Levi thought bitterly.

He shrugged rather than voicing his thought aloud. “Even so, I wouldn’t worry too much.” Levi said. “He won’t get the better of me again and once Eren’s back at his full strength we won’t have a problem even if Eyebrows does show up. Erwin seems to think that taking down a demon is easy.” The man shook his head. “He has no fucking idea.”

One demon could probably end Erwin’s whole secret society. Levi couldn’t think why anyone would want to go to a place where there was more than one creature capable of destroying them.

“And does his organisation know?” Hanji enquired.

She always did ask the important questions.

Levi shrugged.

It was true that he had no idea what Erwin’s people knew about demons.

“No matter what they might know, it won’t be enough.” Levi said and he felt the words were true. Even knowing about demons wouldn’t help you against their speed, their strength, and wicked claws and teeth. “They couldn’t catch themselves one demon, and now they want to march into a world filled with thousands of them.”

Morons, the lot of them.

Hanji was nodding to herself, almost absently, like she agreed with Levi’s thoughts.

Levi really hoped that she couldn’t read his mind.

“I say let them go.” The brunette said. When Levi looked at her, she shrugged. “Fuck it.”

Levi gave a dry chuckle. There wasn’t much humour in it. “Not a bad idea.” He replied. “It’s not like they have any real idea of what they’re up against.”

“Do _you_ know what they’re up against?” Hanji asked.

She almost sounded challenging but Levi knew better. She was sceptical of anything unless she could see it with her own eyes, touch it, identify it with her senses and fit it into logic.

Until Eren had arrived. Sure, Hanji could see him, feel that he was there under her hands. But there was no making sense of the demon boy.

“Barely.” Levi admitted. “Only what Eren’s told me, and he’s kind of cagey about that sort of thing. Well, except to bag out Satan, apparently.”

“Huh?”

“Long story.” The raven muttered and it was the truth. “Ask Eren.”

“I would, but he seems to be pretty busy keeping up the Rapunzel act.”

That was true, also. Eren had yet to stir.

Poor kid was totally wiped out.

“He looks pretty drained.” Levi said, his tone dropping to a murmur as he turned his gaze on the brunet, still strewn over his lap, still holding onto him like a python. “I’m not going to lie; I’ve never seen him this way before. I can’t imagine what kind of hell he’s been through.”

Hanji nodded absently, looking down on Eren’s sleeping form with sympathy.

“They say it’s different for every person.” She said.

Levi rolled his eyes. “It was a metaphor, Hanji.” He said. “Even if he was there. In Hell. I don’t even know how long he was stuck there.”

“Yeah?”

“Time moves differently there.” Levi remembered how Eren got after travelling between worlds, seeming to act as though he’d been away for months. “He’s told me before.” The raven said, gazing at the sleeping brunet’s head. “But he never knows how long he’ll be away. Whatever’s happening here, Hell runs on its own schedule. It doesn’t bother to pause for the living.”

“Understandable.”

“Unbelievable, more like.” Levi muttered. “Human beings shouldn’t even need to put serious thought into any of this. It’s meant to be one of those things we question and wonder about, but never _know_. Yet here we are, you with a demon in your living room and me with said demon in my _lap, literally_.”

Levi resigned himself to the fast that Eren just wasn’t going to wake up anytime soon. He had gotten them both to safety and was now apparently set upon taking some well-needed rest.

As much as Levi wanted the brunet to recover, he also worried. He had questions. Hanji had questions.

For now, though, it would have to be enough that they were safe.

“Why did Erwin…what did he do? And why? I need to know. Have to…understand.”

Hanji didn’t have to explain; Levi knew what she meant even without her going into detail. They had all been so close once, back before any of this nonsense. Before Eren, before demons. Before betrayal had been any sort of reality amongst them. Hanji and Erwin had gotten along well, as well as any of them had, and Levi knew that it was as hard for her when he’d left as it had been for Levi, only Hanji hadn’t had to deal with the rejection that Levi had. It had still hurt, to be abandoned by a friend so close. It had effected them all in different ways. Hanji had turned her attention more fiercely on chasing her career, Mike had withdrawn into himself even further, become reserved and watchful of everyone. And Levi…well he’d become even more of an asshole than before…but he hadn’t let his anger, his bitterness, win. He got through it, painful as the process was, and started teaching. He’d started helping.

Life had been fucking good…until Erwin Smith came to beat all their happiness away with baggage from the past and a dangerous new obsession.

True, though, Eren was the reason that Smith and his organisation had become interested. Eren was the one who caused all the recent changes. All the recent trauma.

But Levi knew the kid had no intention of bringing misery. He just wanted to be loved, to be seen as something other than a monster. And Levi was happier with him. He loved the shit out of the little rascal and everyone in his life seemed to have noticed. His colleagues, his boss, his students, and his best friend. Even his ex – the blonde knew that Levi was much more satisfied with his relationship with Eren, a demon, than he had ever been while dating Erwin.

With all that aside, Levi had long since ceased considering Erwin to be anything more than a danger to him, to his lover, and to his friends.

But Hanji had not been personally wronged by the man. It would be somewhat harder for her to simply cut those old, emotional ties with her former friend.

“Come on, Levi. Tell me.”

Looking into her determined gaze, however, made Levi realise that she would do it. Hanji was his best friend, even through the crazy and the emotional and the angry moments. She had always been on Levi’s side…and he knew she was on his side now. If that meant rejecting Erwin, then so be it.

And with the terrible things the man had done recently, it probably wouldn’t be terribly difficult for her to do.

“I can handle it,” Hanji assured him, although her eyes were shining, “and I need to hear this.”

“So you can cut him out of your life.” Levi said with a nod, understanding. They always seemed to understand each other and Levi looked up to meet her eyes before speaking again. “I get it.”

She nodded back at him, just once, and the determination in her gaze was staggering.

“Go on.” Hanji urged.

Levi exhaled through his nose, thinking over what he would say for a brief moment. He decided that it would be best not to beat around the bush, instead he should just get it all over and done with. Like ripping off a Band-Aid to lessen the sting.

He took a deep breath and let the words come tumbling out.

“He managed to get hold of me when I went back to the old flat. Fucker had chloroform or some shit, whatever it was it put me under faster than you could blaspheme. Next thing I knew I was in some storage building, fuck knows where, and I’m tied to a chair like I was on death row about to taste some volts.”

“He didn’t electrocute you, did he? That could cause serious damage-”

“No, no, he just tied me down so I couldn’t make a break for it.” Levi said, then added, “Or try to break his face.”

Hanji’s eyes flickered down, to his arms probably. “What about the cuts, then? How did those happen?”

“Those _were_ Erwin’s fault.” Levi confirmed, his upper lip curling back a little as he failed to suppress a sneer. “He was trying to summon Eren. Said no one else’s blood would do. We have a connection, as lovers I guess, and Erwin was hoping that Eren’s investment and interest in me would bring him scrambling back from Hell.”

“And it worked.” Hanji guessed.

Levi shook his head. “He didn’t come right away. That really seemed to get to Erwin so I assume that ritual of his is meant to be more instantaneous. Eren took his sweet time getting there. I’m not sure if that has anything to do with the messed up way time runs on both planes but it was ages after Erwin started in with the knife that…” Levi trailed off then, throat closing against his will. He swallowed a few times, recalling the events, “…he was like some kind of monster all to himself, chanting words I didn’t know, writing on the floor and on crates in blood. My blood. He’s totally lost it, Hanji.”

“Sounds like.” Hanji said, taking a solemn moment to process what she had just heard. At last she gave a few, slow shakes of her head. “He was always so calm. Mr. Cool and Collected. He was always the one we’d turn to, always had the answers to everything. And now…I can’t even _imagine_ it. I can’t imagine Erwin Smith…the Erwin Smith I used to know so well…as the kind of lunatic you’re describing.”

“I’m glad you can’t because it was fucking terrifying. If I never saw that fucker’s face again it would be too soon.”

Levi paused then, stilling completely as the demon in his lap did something he probably hadn’t done since he’d passed out.

He _moved_.

Eren stretched with a mighty, whining yawn and slumped back over Levi’s lap immediately. Eyes still closed, the brunet nuzzled closer to the human’s warmth although it was nothing compared to the heat of Eren’s own skin. A thrumming purr started up in his throat, quiet but easily distinguishable in the quiet of the living room. He breathed at last, lungs expanding, nostrils flaring as he pulled in air through his nose, and Levi realised too late that he was scenting the air.

And of course Eren could smell Hanji.

Eren’s eyes opened in a flash, bright and alert, and he pushed himself upright in a blur. The brunet was up in an instant, a snarl ripping free from the back of his throat as he planted his feet on the carpet. Eren’s tail whipped up behind him, the furry tip fluffed out in agitation, and blazing eyes swept the room in a darting sweep. Eren spotted Levi first, then Hanji.

White, too-sharp teeth were bared to the room and a hiss left the demon’s throat.

Levi stared on with wide eyes. This was not the Eren he had been expecting. This Eren looked pretty set on killing any threats to his makeshift nest, the current threat being Hanji.

When the brunette didn’t immediately get out of Eren’s line of sight, the demon was pouncing onto the top of the armchair, clawed fingers digging in. Eren poised there, unmoving, with all the balance of a bird – weightless and graceful. The brunet beat a curled fist against the chair, his mouth opening in a roar that was startlingly loud. Unexpected, too. Levi suddenly feared that someone else would hear.

He wondered if he could make up some excuse of watching a documentary with the TV volume cranked up?

With a start, the raven realised he was supposed to be the expert on demon behaviour here. He was the one who’d known Eren the longest, at least in this world, and therefore he was the one most prepared to deal with this sort of situation. It had never been this bad before.

Levi knew he had to do something; Eren was trying to send Hanji running from the room but she was frozen still, from shock or fear Levi did not know. Eren wouldn’t just threaten with his growls for long so, rather recklessly, Levi surged forward and grabbed a hold of Eren’s wrist. His balance upset at the sudden, insistent pull from Levi and Eren moved back from the chair. His feet planted on the floor again. The brunet turned his burning, starlight eyes on the raven in an instant, Eren’s other hand snapping over to close about Levi’s.

Levi’s back met the couch, Eren poised over him, teeth by his throat. His snarl was loud by Levi’s ear and for a moment the raven wondered if Eren could recognise him at all. The demon paused, nose pressing against his skin, tucked against his throat. He inhaled and his fury seemed to slow. Everything slowed, Eren’s movements, even the sounds coming from him.

He was purring, Levi realised. It wasn’t a growl anymore, although the sound was still decidedly vicious – like a wild beast, unpredictable even in its moments of gentleness.

Eren nudged his head against Levi’s, sliding his face against Levi’s hair, pressing close. It was an impossible feeling to describe, like meeting a lion in its home territory only to be greeted as one of the pride. Levi hoped he never met Eren on his true home territory.

The brunet moved back at last. Only a little; just enough to look at the man beneath him. Grey eyes held fiery teal and Levi knew there was recognition in Eren’s gaze when he didn’t attack instantly. To Eren, Levi was not a threat to his nest. Levi was something that belonged in it.

That was the only thing the raven had to use to his advantage.

“Hanji, get out.” He said slowly, keeping his voice low and not breaking eye contact with Eren. He had no idea how long the brunet would allow himself to be held back. “Go. Move slowly.”

“What am I supposed to-”

Even the sound of Hanji speaking was enough to rile Eren and his head snapped up. He hissed at her, teeth bared, and only Levi grabbing onto his arm kept the brunet from leaping up to chase her out.

“Just go.” Levi hissed the words, quiet as he could manage so as not to disturb Eren any further. “I’m sorry but I don’t know what he’s been through. I won’t take any chances of him hurting you.”

Levi could not see Hanji from where he lay, pressed back against the couch. All he could do was listen for her.

“What about you?” The brunette asked.

Levi couldn’t believe that she was worried for him when _she_ was the one the fucking _demon_ was snarling at.

“Right now I think my face is the only one Eren won’t want to kill on sight.” Levi said, squeezing at Eren’s arm to keep him grounded, keep him there. “ _Go_ , already. Do some grocery shopping; buy some meat for this vicious little shit. Just get out already before he fucking eats you.”

Hanji nodded, her murmured words of agreement growing quieter as she inched backwards. Finally she disappeared from sight; Levi knew it because Eren growled, loud and threatening, until he heard the slam of the front door.

With the threat gone, the growling ceased, and Levi risked releasing his grip on Eren’s arms. The demon blinked down at him immediately, pausing to nuzzle the side of his face with a low sound that Levi felt was meant to chide him. For holding Eren back from defending their nest or for something else entirely, Levi did not know.

For the moment he was just relieved that Eren wasn’t behaving like a beast. But then Eren jerked up with a sneer and stomped off to make sure that there weren’t any other creatures around.

Levi heaved a sigh and covered his face with his hands. Somewhere off in the house Eren could be heard growling in his searching, looking for any other humans that shouldn’t be there. Levi huffed. He really hoped Moblit was at work. Or anywhere but here.

Eren had fallen silent in his search but he had yet to return so Levi knew he was still scouting for threats. Most likely the demon had just fallen back into his hellish ways – silent as an alley cat.

A shrill ringing sounded, shattering the quiet, and Levi actually jumped at the noise. He rolled his eyes at his own edgy behaviour and trudged over to pick up the house phone. Snarling registered in his ears and Levi turned to find Eren back in the living room, his eyes fixed on the source of the irritating noise.

“Alright, I’m getting it.” Levi held up a hand in the brunet’s direction, hoping it would calm him enough to dissuade him from destroying Hanji’s phone. “Hello? Hanji’s phone.”

“It’s me.”

“For fuck’s sake, Hanji,” Levi hissed into the phone, hushing the hostile tone when a riled Eren appeared by his side, “what now?”

The raven listened as best he could while trying to shoo Eren away from the phone, trying to be gentle with him for all of ten seconds before planting his hand squarely in the middle of the brunet’s forehead and shoving him away.

“Don’t bite my head off, geez.” Hanji grumbled in his ear. “I just wanted to know, how will I know when it’s safe to come back?”

Levi sighed, watching a mop of brown hair bob by his feet. Eren was trying to find the source of the phone connection. Levi booted him in the shins. The action earned him a moody hiss but when Levi didn’t find himself with any lost limbs he figured he wasn’t in any trouble.

“I’ll let you know.” Levi muttered, still eyeing the brunet.

“Do you think it will be long?”

“I’ve got no idea.” Levi admitted. “It could be hours or minutes. Maybe more.”

The raven paused when he detected a presence rather close to him. He didn’t even need to turn much before he noticed Eren right by him, head bent to sniff at his hair. A low purr started up in the brunet’s throat, slow and deep. Levi could feel it when Eren pressed in close to rub his head against the raven’s.

Levi swallowed. “I’ve never dealt with him being this far gone before.”

Eren had talked about what Hell could do to a person but Levi hadn’t really ever expected to see this side of the boy. It had never been a reality, or at the very least Levi had hoped it wouldn’t become a reality.

The downside of dating a demon, Levi supposed. Well…not so much a downside. Just another part of the reality. If Levi loved this kid, and he couldn’t imagine trying to push him away now, then things like this couldn’t be situations to be avoided. With luck, they wouldn’t go through this sort of thing often…but it was something to be prepared for.

Levi just needed to know how the fuck to prepare.

“Be careful, okay?” Hanji’s voice reached him again, pulling him away from the feeling of Eren’s presence.

So close, warm and unrelenting at his side, coiling about the smaller male.

“He won’t do anything to me.” Levi said after a moment, huffing as Eren butted his head against the raven’s temple as if for attention. “Nothing bad, I don’t think. Although if you come back and my jugular is torn out then you know something went wrong.”

The line went quiet and Levi winced. Eren gave a little croon at his sudden stiff posture, nuzzling to pull the raven out of his silence.

Hanji sounded a little bit cross when she next spoke. “Don’t joke.”

“That was in poor taste. My bad.” Levi hastened to amend.

Hanji hadn’t had any warning before he and Eren had turned up in her house, half-dead and with barely any explanations. She didn’t deserve to get hunted out of her own home and she damned well didn’t deserve Levi’s snark.

He hadn’t meant to make light of the situation. It was a defence mechanism.

“I’m serious when I say be careful.” Hanji muttered in his ear.

Levi took out a breath and exhaled in a rush. “I know. Listen, I’ll try my best to snap him out of it. If things are getting out of hand-”

“Call me; I’ll come get you.”

There was no room in her tone for him to disagree, so Levi didn’t bother.

“I will.” He said. “And I’ll call you when he’s back to normal.” Levi glanced over at Eren where the brunet had his chin resting on Levi’s shoulder. He bleated at the raven, questioning, and Levi brought up a hand to ruffle his hair. He sighed. “Or as normal as he gets.”

If nothing else, he was filthy. They both were.

“Alright.” Hanji said.

Eren went scuttling off suddenly at some sound that Levi had no hope of picking up. He watched the brunet tear in and out through doorways in blurring movements, pausing at his nest of blankets and armchairs. A cushion was thrown away with a moody hiss, blankets flying as they were rearranged.

Levi winced a bit. “Your house might be in a bit of a messy state by the time Eren’s manageable…”

“I don’t care about that, Levi.” Hanji said without hesitation, her tone catching Levi’s attention. “I care about _you_ and I care about _Eren_. Furniture? Household objects? I can buy replacements if something gets damaged. I can’t buy replacements for you. Or for him.”

Levi stood, trying to catch up with his thoughts. He couldn’t imagine anyone reacting the same way as Hanji did…to pretty much anything in his life. No matter what messed up shit went down, and this was some of the most messed up shit he’d ever been through, Hanji was always…okay with it. Even if she kicked his ass into gear or tore into him with words, Hanji had never rejected any parts of him.

And now she was accepting Eren, as he was, into her life despite the fact that he had literally just chased her out of her home. Buck naked of all things.

How did Levi find people like this?

“I’ll say thank you…” he said, swallowing, “because it’s the only thing I can think to say.”

A knowing hum sounded through the phone, lacking its usual humour.

“Without getting all mushy on me, you mean?” She said.

Levi swallowed again, this time with more difficulty. “Yeah.”

“All good.”

Hanji had to be able to hear the emotion trying to claw its way out of Levi’s throat. She moved on, not forcing her friend to choke on words she didn’t need him to say.

Levi coughed. Cleared his throat. “So where are you going to go?” He asked, only partially to change the subject. “You don’t actually have to get groceries.”

“I might as well.” The brunette said and Levi could imagine the exact way she would shrug, like everything was completely normal. “From what I saw, you’re going to need some hearty food to heal up. You looked like Hell, Levi.”

He barked a laugh at that and it hurt in several places. “I believe you.”

Movement in his peripheral vision announced Eren’s presence again. The demon grabbed his arm, tugging as Levi turned to shoo him. Eren growled at his resistance to follow but the sound was more frustrated than it was aggressive. When Levi refused to budge and Eren didn’t immediately tear him away from the phone, the brunet let out a loud yowl and slumped down by Levi’s feet.

Eren crossed his legs, frowning at Levi’s feet. His tail coiled around one of the raven’s legs.

“I’m going to swing by your work.” Hanji’s voice interrupted again.

Levi tore his eyes away from his sulking demon, frowning at the window. “What for? Going to take a class to pass the time?”

“Actually I was going to tell Mike what happened.”

Levi’s eyes widened. “Hanji-”

“Only the bits about Erwin and you.” Hanji cut Levi off before he could snap. “I won’t breathe a word about Eren.”

A low growl stirred in Eren’s throat when Levi raised his voice, even for that brief moment. Levi shushed the brunet as he pawed at him, questioning, big eyes looking for answers.

“What if his name comes up?” Levi hissed, looking away from Eren so that he wouldn’t think he was in trouble.

“Then I guess I’ll say he’s elsewhere. I’m not going to say anything about your boyfriend’s condition. I’m surprised you guys even told me. Eren promised be experiments; I’m not about to jeopardise a research opportunity by blabbing about his nature.” Hanji spared a moment for a more light-hearted chuckle before she became sombre again. “Mike deserves to know about the rest of it, though. About you and Erwin and this whole kidnapping mess. So do the others. I’m sure they’ll want to know that their boss, their teacher, is okay. And if Erwin comes crawling in to ask Mike for help, then at least Mike will know what a scumbag Erwin has become.”

 _How_ did Levi find people like this? One bad apple in the barrel, aka Erwin, and yet there were still so many _good_ people in Levi’s life; his friends, colleagues, students, boyfriend of the dead-come-undead realm. And he barely even noticed just how good things had been.

“I probably don’t tell you enough,” Levi started, hesitated before continuing so that he could get out the words he wanted to say, “but despite your weirdness and eccentricities, you’re the best goddamned friend I have.”

“I know.”

“I mean it.”

“I know you do.” Hanji said and it sounded like she would have hugged him had she been there. “It means a lot to hear it, too.”

Levi smiled a little, but he couldn’t quite find it in himself to laugh. “I’ll find you in the next life, shitty glasses, and I won’t forget that I owe you big time.”

Hanji had no trouble cackling up a storm. “That’s a dangerous promise to make.”

Eren nosed the phone suddenly, sniffing and almost knocking it from Levi’s hold.

“Don’t I know it.” Levi smirked briefly, frowning a second later as the phone was almost swiped from him again. “Eren’s getting jealous of the phone, I’m hanging up now.”

“Okay.” Hanji said, then shouted, “Don’t have sex on my couch!”

“No promises.”

“Ewwww-”

The phone clicked as Levi hung up, immediately faced with a doe-eyed demon, hopeful now that Levi was not distracted. He purred, curling closer.

Testing his resolve, Levi tried to pull his leg free. Eren clung to him tighter, grumbling wordlessly. For a moment Levi was tempted to let the brunet have his way, whatever that would entail, but then he remembered that they were both in a horrendous state.

Decision made. Levi heaved Eren up, rolling his eyes at the moody hiss it earned him, and prodded the demon between the eyes. That silenced him well enough and Eren frowned, rubbing at his forehead, while Levi dragged him through the house towards the guest bathroom.

“Shower.” Levi snapped, voice firm to keep Eren’s attention as he was pulled along. “We’re both filthy.”

Eren gave a moody growl and snapped his teeth.

“Oi. None of that. Behave yourself.”

Levi felt like a fucking moron telling a demonic being to behave, but Eren was still in there somewhere. Hopefully the key to bringing him back could be found in treating him like normal. Just because Eren was acting up and acting different didn’t mean that Levi should treat him any differently. He still knew the kid and Eren hadn’t tried to bring him to harm. Yet.

The shower spray was freezing to start with but Levi pushed Eren under the stream.

“Get in there.” He ordered, glowering when the demon yelped and tried to scamper his way back out.

For all his wild behaviour, Eren wasn’t being very forceful with his strength. He hissed at the chilly water but only whined at Levi for freedom. When the raven started stripping down with one hand, holding Eren in place with the other, the demon complained a lot less.

Eren leaned away from Levi’s steadying hand on his chest, crouching under the warming water, and Levi used the new freedom of both his hands to rid himself of his clothes.

The water was near scalding by the time Levi got under the spray and he hissed, adjusting the temperature to something more bearable. Pressure, hot hands against his calf, alerted him to Eren’s presence.

With a sigh, Levi stooped to grab hold of the twerp and drag him up. Eren sprang upright at the first tug on his shoulder, nosing his way into Levi’s personal space and staring with big, questioning eyes. When Levi did not immediately make some wish or desire known, the brunet returned to sniffing at him, snorting water from his nose in surprise.

Levi scoffed. “Nice.”

Eren didn’t seem aware that he was being teased. He jumped under Levi’s touch when the other male coaxed him out of the way to get to the soap, but otherwise Eren seemed…relieved of all things. Relieved, wary, confused. A mix of emotions that didn’t make much sense to the raven.

Levi only wished that he had some kind of idea of what Eren had been through to get this way. But he didn’t know what had happened to the poor kid, so all there was left to do was to wait and fill in the time it would take for Eren to recover.

In the meantime, Levi began by getting rid of whatever he could rinse off of himself by hand. It was amazing how dirty he had become just being in that dusty old warehouse. It was a miracle that he hadn’t gotten sick or that none of his wounds had become infected, although Levi suspected that he had Eren to thank for that.

A glance up revealed the demon in question to be standing rigidly still, head tilted to one side, and fixing Levi with an concentrated stare.

Levi blinked in surprise at such an intense gaze, pausing in the action of washing himself to look back at Eren.

His eyes were searching. Levi could see dots connecting behind those blazing pools of colour, although what the boy was thinking would remain a mystery.

Whatever Eren was looking for, he didn’t seem to find it. He stepped forward then, crowding Levi and pushing him. This time he did use force, herding the raven back. A rumble stirred deep in Eren’s chest, his lids lowered, and Levi’s back hit the wall.  He hissed at both the cold and the grip Eren had on his shoulders, but even the unforgiving kiss of the tiles against his back couldn’t distract Levi from the obvious warmth that pressed against his front.

Unbelievable. Exhausted as Eren was, the little shit was still trying to put the moves on Levi first chance he got. Although at this point the raven wasn’t sure if Eren knew whether he was Rivaille or Levi.

At this point it didn’t matter. Levi was determined to get clean, not dirtier, and he made that known.

“Back off, you horny little spitfire!” Levi snapped, wielding the soap bar in his hand like a weapon, like he could keep Eren and his germs away that easily.

Eren cocked his head at the growled words, narrowing his eyes. He let out a harsh, barking noise, the sound very loud in Levi’s ears.

He winced.

Eren noticed.

Okay, so Eren definitely knew which of his two partners he was currently dealing with. Levi couldn’t let the brat use that to his advantage, though, or he would get pushed around because Eren was stronger than Levi was and they both knew that. Who knew what the brunet would do in this state.

Without much more to go on, Levi turned to the little hanging shelf beside them and reached over. With his free hand he snagged a wash cloth, handing it to Eren for now. Levi was actually surprised when the brunet accepted it, bringing the cloth under his nose and sniffing in curiosity. While the distraction was working, Levi hastened to get himself rinsed of dirt and lathered in soap. That certainly entertained the demon and Eren crowded him, sniffing and barking like a dog waiting for its master to initiate a game.

The foreign scent of soap in place of Levi’s usual scent had Eren wrinkling his nose and he marvelled at bubbles gathered in his hands from the raven’s skin.

“You’re kind of cute like this.” Levi observed, watching Eren attempt eating a few suds and instantly making hacking sounds of distaste. “Moron.”

Soon enough Levi took the cloth back from Eren and set to really scrubbing himself clean. The skin on his arms was still tender but where there had been cuts there was only pinked skin now.

Eren’s healing had been efficient.

In comparison, Eren’s own body was doing less efficiently. He should have been able to recover quicker than this. Maybe he could with a little rest. Levi didn’t know.

What he did know, though, was that there was no way Eren was going to escape the scrubbing of a lifetime.

When Eren realised this he threw the loudest tantrum that the raven had ever seen. He whined and yowled, trying to clamber away and even sitting down when Levi snagged a hold of his waist to drag him back.

“Oh no you don’t. Shut it and close your eyes.”

Eren snapped his teeth when Levi came at him with shampoo so Levi squirted some of the stuff into the brat’s mouth.

“Serves you right.” The raven muttered while Eren coughed and spit the substance out.

The brunet fell into a petulant silence, thumping his tail against the tiles in moody display.

“I know, I know, you’re a scary, cranky demon.” Levi muttered, although he did manage to smile at the surly glances being sent his way. “Stop being such a baby, I’m just washing your hair.”

Eren was much more careful about getting suds in his mouth from then on, letting Levi rinse the shampoo from his hair. He was better behaved as Levi coaxed him to stand. Eren shook water from his hair, a fruitless effort as more dripped down from the spray above, and he fixed a dark glare on the raven.

Levi just scoffed at him.

“Now where did you learn to scowl like that, I wonder?” He hummed.

Bringing the cloth up with one hand, Levi cleaned up Eren’s face, washed behind his ears, scrubbed at his neck with care to avoid too much pressure over the various teeth marks.

“There you are.” Levi managed a smile once Eren’s face was free of anything questionable.

He stretched up, slow so as not to startle the brunet, and kissed him. Pulled back. Looked for some sort of reaction.

Eren’s eyes widened a fraction and he made an odd sound. Ran his tongue over his lips like he might still taste Levi there, like that might help him make sense of what had just happened to him.

When the brunet leaned down chasing more, Levi felt at least a little of his worry ease.

“Oh, so you remember _that_.” Levi teased in between indulging Eren with little nips. “It’s a start, I guess.”

Eren was very disappointed when he was made to back off so that Levi could scrub the rest of him clean, but he relented – probably in the hopes that behaving would earn him more of Levi’s affection.

The cloth offended Eren’s skin so Levi avoided using it on any particularly tender areas. He got as close to the scarring marks as he could without Eren outright growling, then used his fingers to wash away the rest. Skin on skin contact was much more acceptable to the brunet and he was purring by the time the water was finally shut off.

Washed, dried, and clothed – on Levi’s part at least as Eren refused to let the raven get garments on him – the pair went back into the living room. Levi set about putting all of the blankets in to be washed, making amends to a distressed Eren by bringing new blankets from a cupboard for the brunet to rebuild his nest. It didn’t take Eren long and Levi didn’t bother trying to reset the living room. The setup made the brunet a lot calmer and that was something both of them needed. Calm.

While Eren went about putting his scent on the new blankets, Levi went to the bathroom mirror to better assess his condition.

All in all…it could have been worse. So much worse. He could have been dead, for one.

Things could have been better, too.

Levi glowered at his arms, analysing how bad the damage was. Now that he was clean of his own blood and whatever other dirt and grime, it was easier to see just how well the wounds had healed over. He slathered his arms with antiseptic but decided against any coverings. It would be better to let the skin breathe once it soaked up the disinfectant.

Eren came prowling over to assess the situation only to take one sniff at Levi and scuttle off with a displeased snuffle. The smell of the antiseptic was off-putting to Eren, unfamiliar where the demon had been expecting Levi’s scent.

At first Eren fussed and tried to remove the substance making Levi smell strange but when his attempt at licking away the foreign scent resulted in an awful taste the brunet retreated with a few hacking noises. Accepting that Levi would just smell a bit different for a while, Eren sulked in corners and he carefully avoided inhaling around the raven after that.

So he pottered around, always staying close by. If he left the room, it was only ever for a few moments. Eren came running back, almost _flying_ back to Levi like the world was ending.

Maybe it was. And it was exactly that kind of thought that had Levi holding back quiet reprimands whenever Eren got uncomfortably close, like he was trying to wrap around Levi and absorb him. But it made the twerp stop fussing so Levi let him tangle them together.

Eren seemed puzzled. There were questions in his eyes and confusion written in the scrunch of his brows, but the brunet did not voice whatever he was thinking. Could not, probably. Whatever he was wondering about wasn’t important enough to keep him from clambering all over Levi every chance he got.

Levi could sit, stand, or be constantly moving about and Eren would still find a way to be half-wrapped around him. He seemed reluctant to let the raven put any space between them. More than reluctance, it was more like the thought of separation panicked him. And a panicked Eren was a less than gentle Eren, so Levi let the brunet have his way and only grumbled a little at the lack of personal space.

When Eren all but curled up in his lap, Levi knew something was up.

He really couldn’t wait for Eren to be able to talk again.

 _If_ that would even happen.

He put his hands either side of Eren’s face, stroked his cheeks with his thumbs and ruffled the demon’s drying hair. Eren seemed to like the attention, even if he kept a constant eye on Levi. The way he never blinked in this strange state of alertness was off-putting but Levi put up with it.

Every once in a while one of Eren’s ears would twitch at some sound Levi had no hope of hearing and he’d be up and darting through the house again in search of intruders.

Levi could only sit and sigh, waiting for the brunet to come trotting back like some oversized dog, curling up at Levi’s feet and expecting treats.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do with you?” Levi wondered aloud.

The day continued that way and, at last as Eren dozed off with his head in Levi’s lap, the raven turned on the television to try and pass the time.

He instantly wished he’d thought to check the news sooner.

The city was in utter chaos. Every news channel was reporting on a freak storm that had appeared, Levi guessed, right around the time that shit had gone down at the warehouse. Apparently the winds had increased to actual hurricane levels out of nowhere. Parts of the city near the area were trashed. Streets were flooded. There was a crater where the warehouse had to have been and Levi found himself glaring at the image on the television screen – the remains of the building nothing but a pile of smoking rubble. Said rubble was barely more than a scattering of bricks and metal; most of the building had just…gone.

And then there were the missing persons reports flooding in. So far it just seemed to be blamed on the freakish weather but more and more names came in, joining a list of people that Levi had a feeling would not be returning to their worrying families. He had a bad feeling…but it was a gut feeling and he knew he was right.

Most, if not all, of those missing people would be demon chow by now. Eren’s abomination of a mate would have seen to that.

“Jesus…” Levi breathed the word, unconsciously tensing his hand in Eren’s hair.

A quiet whine sounded and when Levi glanced down he found sleepy eyes looking back up at him.

“No, no, shh...” Levi hushed the brunet before he could upset himself, returning to carding his hand through Eren’s hair in the hopes that it would encourage him to sleep again. “Go to sleep, Eren. We’ll be alright here for now; you just rest. Do whatever you need to do to get better. And don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, I will explain a whole lot of the other shit that's going down in the next few chapters, I promise. BUT this will be the last update until end of year break. That's about 13-14 weeks from now, which sucks. I don't get any holidays because we have to build sets for our festival shows, but it's all good cos I'll get my butt into gear once I'm free and have a few days to just chill and scream out the stress or whatever :p
> 
> Feedback is welcome, what do you guys want to see in the immediate future? Tell me cos I might miss something, although I may not be able to fit everything in I'd like to know if what I'm planning will fit what you guys are expecting XD
> 
> Till next time! Thanks for reading!! Thanks for your patience and support! I love you guys <3


	56. Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes...

A steady thrumming accompanied Levi through his dream-filled sleep, all the worries of his mind oozing out to form shapes and scenarios that spun wildly in his head. And all the while that same, relentless vibration against his chest.

Something heavy came with the sound, seemed to be making it, and even as Levi crawled back towards consciousness he knew it was Eren. The brat had no doubt gone to sleep curled up on top of him, as Eren had taken to doing recently. It seemed like some sort of comfort, a security blanket – but for himself or Eren’s benefit, it was hard to tell. Harder to ask without Eren being able to talk.

That hadn’t worn off yet, either.

The brunet wouldn’t speak, wouldn’t wear the clothes Levi offered him.

Eren still traipsed about like some kind of guard dog, elongated ears twitching at every sound. Most of the noises he got worked up over were ones that Levi couldn’t even hear, but there was nothing he could do about it. Eren would fret, check the house, and return.

He never left, thank fuck. Levi didn’t know what he would do if the brunet tried to go outside in his current state.

And now, as Levi peeled his eyes open from what had been a surprisingly deep sleep, he found Eren draped across him like some sort of demon blanket. Tucked in close, purring in his sleep.

Well he was happy, at least. That was a good sign.

“Eren?” Levi blinked, waiting for the brunet to wake.

Eren stirred immediately, stretching out with a little, disgruntled sound.

“Morning.” Levi said, because he found it more useful to communicate with Eren like he could understand him rather than to assume that he couldn’t.

A sleepy sound greeted him in turn. Eren stretched again, almost falling off of the bed.

Bed? Levi tried to remember how they’d gotten there, for he distinctly remembered watching the news in the living room. They must have fallen asleep on the couch, and at some point he supposed that Eren had brought him in here. Wanting a more secure location to rest, or nest really. There were blankets strewn all around them now, probably moved from wherever Eren had set up his last comfy spot. It had been moving around. From the floor to the sofa, to an armchair, and now the bed in Hanji’s guest room.

Levi blinked again and rubbed at his eyes, vision clearing up, only to frown immediately at the state of Eren’s face when the demon looked up at him.

“Christ,” he groaned, “what have you been doing?”

Eren blinked at him, all wide eyes and flicking ears, twitching forward to listen to him before settling again. His face, particularly the space around his mouth, was smeared with who knew what.

He’d been eating, that much was clear, and Levi could only hope that it had been regular food.

“Someone’s going to need another shower. Honestly, have you never heard of napkins?” Levi played off his worry, not wanting to upset the demon. “Or washing your damned face?”

He sat up, reaching for Eren’s shoulder to give it a squeeze, for at least that part of him was clean. Eren sniffed at him, but realised quickly from the hand that was planted on his chest that there would be no morning kisses for him until he was cleaned up. The brunet scuttled out of the room without needing any further prompting, and he was waiting for Levi by the shower when the raven made his way to the bathroom. Eren whined nonstop when he was promptly shoved back out, scratching at the door like a miserable mutt. It was a heart wrenching sound, but Levi was not about to take a shit in front of anyone.

Levi was practically pounced on when he opened the door again. The brunet was distracted momentarily by the sight of a very naked Levi, putting a stop to Eren’s frantic greeting attempts as the raven steered him towards the shower. Scrubbed the demon clean again, getting stern when Eren tried to nip at the fingers trying to remove – was that chocolate? – from his face.

Okay, just normal, human food. Phew.

And here Levi had been worrying that he would wander out into the kitchen and find a dead body waiting on the floor.

The kitchen was miraculously body-free when Levi ventured into it later, clean and dry and clothed, and with one exceptionally naked Eren trailing along after him. Levi froze the moment he entered the kitchen, staring around. Had they been robbed?

The fridge was wide open, but that hardly mattered because it was empty. Containers and cartons lay discarded on the floor, on the counter. There wasn’t a single bit of food to be seen.

Levi looked at Eren with silent accusation written all over his face. He crossed his arms, and Eren withered under his glare.

“Were you stocking up on fat for hibernation or something?” Levi asked the room, staring at the damage. “At least you left the refrigerator.” He muttered, after he felt Eren had suffered his glower long enough.

He left Eren hovering about, whining anxiously as he watched the raven go poking about the kitchen. Avoiding puddles of orange juice and a splattering of what looked like yoghurt. Levi shot Eren another unimpressed glance as he made it to the fridge, wishing that he’d come to check the kitchen before he’d bothered showering.

Levi had a thorough search of every fridge shelf, every cupboard and cranny. From the looks of it, Eren had taken it upon himself to consume every last edible morsel in the house.

The kid must have had one hell of a hunger pang. Damn.

“You will clean this up.” Levi said, his head still buried in one of the cupboards as he pulled out empty boxes.

The cereal had suffered, too. Levi gathered the boxes and sat them down on the counter, turning back to close the cupboards.

There was an odd sound not unlike a draft, and Levi was only mildly surprised to find the kitchen spotless when he turned back around. Everything gone, all stains and spills nowhere to be found. All the empty containers stacked by the sink, somehow clean. Even the boxes that Levi had just set on the counter were gone.

“Good boy.” He said, tone impressed.

He should have made Eren clean up more often.

Eren padded over to him then, head ducked, seeking forgiveness. He perked up when Levi slid fingers under his chin to raise his head, and pecked his mouth for a job well done. Eren wanted more, purring again as he wound arms around Levi’s waist and sought more kisses. Pushed Levi back against the counter, careful not to be too forceful, nuzzling the raven’s jaw when Levi tried to shoo him away.

“Assuming you’ve already had breakfast,” Levi started, evading Eren’s attempts to claim his mouth, “I’m guessing that you’re not hungry?”

Eren shook his head no, pleading for affection with wide, saucer eyes.

Levi flicked him in the forehead, watching the brunet scrunch up his nose.

“And what am I supposed to eat?” Levi asked, waiting.

Eren’s purring cut off abruptly. As realisation washed over Eren he flushed, aware of his mistake. He let out a long whine, quiet and embarrassed.

“Hmm? Did you think about that before pigging out, knucklehead?” Levi continued to tease as Eren’s whines grew loud and repentant, his ears remarkably expressive of his emotions. The raven rubbed at said “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Nothing was the answer to that question. Eren had nothing to say for himself, but he made an awful lot of apologetic noises to make up for that.

 

Eren had thankfully not done any damage to the house itself, just its food supply. Levi turned somewhat reluctantly to online delivery services, wondering briefly if it would be a bad idea for someone to actually come to the door with Eren in his current condition.

Probably. But he wasn’t about to just let Hanji come home to an empty fridge. And pantry. And cupboards.

The brunet had a good nose, and he hadn’t left a single bit of food. Levi had checked. Thoroughly.

Anything non-essential could wait. Levi clicked on things like milk, eggs, cereal, bread – whatever would be enough to get them through the day. If the encounter went well, he could order more tomorrow. It was early enough that they could have the groceries dropped off sometime in the afternoon.

Fucking splendid. Until then Levi figured he would just have to wait.

He settled in an armchair the living room in front of the television, not at all surprised when Eren clambered up into his lap, blankets in toe. Not that he fit there all that well, but that didn’t stop the brunet. He made himself at home, but Levi kept prodding him to watch the boy shift and readjust, yowling in protest when Levi wouldn’t let him get comfortable. Eren looked suspicious, like he was aware that Levi was messing with him in playful revenge for the kitchen fiasco.

Levi focused on some commercial, letting Eren nestle down at last. In moments he was purring again, legs over one arm of the chair, head tipped back over the other, barely fitting there at all. Each thrumming purr in time with the rise and fall of his chest, and Levi wondered why Eren was bothering to breathe then.

Comfort, probably. Being able to smell Levi’s presence with each breath.

No doubt he was monitoring other things with that keen nose of his, too. That was perhaps a comforting thought for Levi, seeing as there was still the potential threat of Eren’s murderous and very probably insane…husband? Partner? What even was the human equivalent of having a mate?

More than boyfriend.

And yet Eren was there with him now, even with his supposed mate in the same world. Easily accessible. Eren and his mate could go on some murder spree first date in the living world, and Levi wouldn’t be able to stop them.

Hell, with his luck he’d end up watching it on the news. Or else he’d be their damned dessert.

“ _The most delicious things are to be saved for last…and that is why I will not eat you until my last moments._ ”

Levi tried not to sigh at the memory. He rather hoped they were passed that kind of thing. Although a lot of Eren’s early “flirting” attempts had been half-threatening descriptions of eating him in a very literal and un-sexy manner.

Maybe he was just another snack on Eren’s menu? At some point, that had to have been true.

Now, though, Eren was reduced to this base state…and he had made no attempt to do anything other than keep Levi safe. Even if he was defending the raven from sounds in the night, Hanji’s neighbours, and passers-by on the streets.

Sweet kid.

 

In hindsight, Levi should probably have explained to Eren that someone other than himself or Hanji had been going to leave groceries on the doorstep.

Levi hadn’t banked on them both falling asleep in front of the television. He hadn’t been prepared to stop Eren from tearing off of the armchair in a whirlwind of suspicious aggression, awake and alert while Levi was still dizzy from his nap. He was staggering to stand up at the sounds of furious growling, a muffled shout, then a thud. Cursing as he stumbled through the living room, only to slam into Eren as the brunet came running back.

Levi was vaguely aware of a shimmering in the air, some kind of enchantment from Eren no doubt. He grabbed a hold of the brat, trying to ask what had happened.

Had he hurt anyone?

What had that noise been?

Did anyone see him?

But Eren was hauling him back into the living room, hands bruising in their grip. Eyes wide with an acute alarm. Panic. He wasn’t listening to Levi’s protests, to his questions.

Eren all but threw Levi into the piled blankets on the armchair, trying to bury him there. Trying to hide him. The poor kid was really shaken, barking harsh, pitching noises at Levi when the raven tried to extract himself from the nest. Eren clambered over him, pressing Levi back down and preventing him from exiting.

“Eren?” Levi said around a mouthful of blanket. “You’re going to suffocate me, you idiot.”

He got his head free, but all he could see was part of Eren’s shoulder where the brunet was hovered over him.

“What? What is it? What did you do? Are we in danger? Eren, this would be a really good time for you to start talking to me. Come on. I have to go out there to check, let me up. Eren. Eren! I have to go!”

I have to go.

Teeth sank into his shoulder with a wet crunch, skin giving way to the harsh pressure of sharpened canines. Levi couldn’t even scream for a moment; he was too surprised to register the pain.

Eren had bitten him. Not just a playful nip, not a controlled action.

Levi’s skin was wet, slick with his own blood, Eren’s saliva, and something that was soaking into his new wound.

The pain, a burning sensation, came so suddenly that Levi wondered in a split second of thought whether this was what it would feel like to have acid in his blood.

From there, thought was beyond him.

Feeling was all he could do, and it was all he wished he couldn’t do. Whatever this was, shouldn’t have been described as pain. It felt like death. Levi could feel a strain in his throat, like he was screaming, but he couldn’t hear anything. Couldn’t hear his own voice, or Eren’s.

The sensation of Eren biting him again, somewhere above his hip in the softer skin of his side, was like being numb. The agony that ripped about inside him distracted from anything else. Other sensations were but a flickering, something on the edge of Levi’s awareness. Even his eyes couldn’t tell him anything, staring unseeing as he was burned alive from within.

Sight was shapes. Movement. Everything in slow-motion, like some awful, drugged vision. No real understanding of his surroundings, and then darkness as his lids closed. They wouldn’t open after that, and somehow it made the pain tearing at him worse.

Another bite near his navel. Not so much as a twinge.

More fire. A final dose from that harsh mouth.

Something in his own mouth. Hot, perhaps? But then all of him felt hot, too hot. Was the house burning up, or just him? Levi felt wet again, slickness in his mouth. Something on his tongue. His airways were cut off, the sensation of hands covering his mouth and nose. Barely there. No time or care for distress or panic, but Levi swallowed anyway.

He was allowed to breathe again, not that it was any comfort at this point.

Vaguely, Levi could register when there were no longer hands on him. Something ghosted past his skin, a breeze he couldn’t begin to explain.

After an impossibly long moment, the hands returned. They were different. That was all that Levi could know, without being able to convince his eyes to open, or his ears to hear.

Levi wasn’t even aware enough to be grateful when he faded quickly into unconsciousness.

 

“I don’t know. What would I even tell a nurse? Hey, my friend was mauled by his demonic boyfriend and I think he might be dying? Please help?”

Hanji was back, Levi realised as he waded his way back towards some semblance of consciousness. He also realised that he knew, without a doubt, that Eren was no longer in the house. Without even having opened his eyes.

When he did manage to blink, his vision was fuzzy. His eyes stung, as did everything else when he tried to move. Levi’s skull seemed to sing some buzzing note at him, dizzying.

Blinking again, Levi saw what was left of the living room. Essentially, the walls. The TV was miraculously intact, safe where it sat against one of the walls. Anything that had been in Levi’s vicinity was in pieces, shreds of ex-armchairs, splinters of the frames within. The sofa had survived.

That was where Hanji sat, phone clutched by her ear in a white-knuckled grip. She kept changing between perfectly, outstandingly clear to fuzzy in Levi’s eyes, no matter how much he blinked it didn’t help.

“No. You don’t want to see this. Hell, Levi might even kill me for…oh shit. Never mind, he’s…kind of awake.”

Levi’s ears informed him that the brunette was on the phone with his boss. Which meant that, if Hanji was panicking to him about Levi’s inhuman excuse of a boyfriend, Mike knew. And that meant that Hanji had told him.

Shit. Well, if the big man took it well that could be a help.

“Can you hear me yet?” Hanji asked, and Levi took note of the way she made no move to approach him. “Hey, Levi? Small fry? Blink twice for yes.”

He felt like his blinks were a little too slow to be counted as an accurate response on his part, but Hanji breathed a relieved sigh anyway.

“I think the worst of it might be over. He’s not having another fit, and I’m pretty sure he hears me. I’ll call you if he gets worse.”

Levi was vaguely aware of Hanji wrapping up the call as he attempted stretching. That hurt. His bones felt a bit like they were made of chalk powder, all his muscles protesting after what was likely a long, long session of remaining tense.

He groaned, and his voice sounded wrong. Hoarse, like his throat was full of marbles, choking the sound. Levi broke down into the most painful coughing fit of his life, glancing back over at Hanji with watery eyes.

“Hey, babe.” She greeted, with a shadow of her usual, merry smile. “You look terrible.”

Levi believed that. He felt terrible, like some failure of creation whose body refused to function for him. Unused to his own skin, cold and too warm at the same time.

“Remember anything?” Hanji was asking him again.

She still hadn’t moved from her place, watching him with a strained wariness. Taking in the state of her living room, Levi didn’t blame her. He didn’t remember doing any of that, but it was impossible to deny with him lying in the middle of the carnage.

“I really hope you do, cos it didn’t look good from my point of view. I’m only glad I got here when I did. Chased that shit of a lover out of here with a broom of all things. I thought he’d shred me for getting anywhere near you, but the little fucker ran for it.”

Something rust coloured was stuck to his fingers in places, flaking. Dried blood.

Levi forced his eyes to focus as best they could, trying to see if Hanji had any marks or cuts on her. She seemed fine, physically. Rattled, though.

“That delivery boy was just about scared to death. I had to drop him off at the hospital and fly back here. We’re lucky Eren dropped his magic noise-cancelling voodoo when he did, as far as I know it’s still going.”

Levi remembered the odd tingling he’d felt in the middle of the chaos. The quick shimmering.

“Mike knows.”

That couldn’t have been an easy conversation to have. Levi would never have believed that Eren was a demon had he not physically revealed himself to the raven. And destroyed his carpet in the process.

“Can’t say he was surprised.” Hanji went on, sounding surprised herself. “Said he’d thought something was off about Eren since that day he came traipsing into one of your classes.” She gave a wearied chuckle. “The whole “demons from Hell” bit was interesting to explain. I wouldn’t have bothered at all, but I freaked out when I came back to check on you guys and I saw…”

Hanji paused, taking a moment to adjust her breathing. She looked over at him, and all Levi could do was stare back at her. It was the least painful option.

“You’re not going to die, are you?” She sniffled, and finally Levi saw the effort it took his friend to remain where she was. “Because you were screaming for hours, and bleeding, and tearing my living room to shreds. And I honestly thought…”

It hurt to reach for her, but Levi made his arms move. Hanji was supposed to be the pillar in their friendship, and he was watching her crumble, trying to deal with a situation in which she didn’t have all the answers. Didn’t have any answers. She didn’t know what to do, had no one to help her with Eren gone.

Levi wasn’t surprised when she made her way shakily over to him, still crumpled gracelessly on the floor. He didn’t know his own strength, that much was clear. Even if he felt weak in that moment, he refused to do anything but let his friend hold him. Hanji could hold him as tight as she damn well wanted and he wouldn’t complain. Even if it hurt. But everything hurt in this state, and Levi only wanted to apologise for the mess, for bleeding in her living room.

Words were impossible for the moment, but they were both beyond words then.

Hanji sobbed for a while, but came to herself quickly. Levi was there, still there with her. She told him about what had happened, at least how she had seen it.

Eren smothering him, a bloody wrist shoved at Levi’s mouth, red liquid that he was made to swallow. How Hanji had started shouting at him, and Eren had snapped out of his growling daze and into a panic. He’d begun tripping over apologies and crying, but Hanji had swatted at him with a broom until he had gone scuttling off out the front door and into the night. The brunet hadn’t shown his face since then, and Hanji had been alone throughout the short moments of Levi’s unconsciousness. Then his hours of shrieking and thrashing. Half the sounds out of his mouth hadn’t even sounded human, and Hanji couldn’t even get near him to try and cover his wounds. Levi crushed anything near him like it was nothing.

She offered him the option of a bath now, helping him as much as he would allow. Levi couldn’t help but feel defensive about the bite marks, alarmed whenever Hanji’s hands were anywhere near them like they were some sort of vulnerability. She left him when he was safely settled in steaming water, the water surprisingly bearable even with his injuries.

It was hard going getting his arms to move, his hands to work the way he wanted. Levi managed to get blood off himself, mostly after soaking. The sites of the bites themselves were tender, but remarkably mostly healed over. Levi tried to wash around them, more than a little disturbed at the fact that instead of pain, it felt almost good to have pressure there.

He left them well enough alone once they were suitably clean.

Climbed out of the bath himself, with difficulty. Even drying himself off was a task and a half, Levi had to take a seat on the toilet or else risk falling over, but at least he knew what he was dealing with.

He wandered out slowly, one step at a time, swathed in a towel. Hanji found him, gave him an earful for bothering to attempt being independent in such a state, and pushed some boxers an old shirt of Moblit’s into his hands. They were only a bit too big, the boxers hanging a little low on his hips, but it was better than his shredded, bloodied clothes.

Levi was helped into the guest bedroom, where he promised to try not to destroy it, and he listened between bursts of sleep as Hanji attempted to clean the living room.

The raven made a mental note that when he next saw Eren, and he would even if he had to track the little shit down, he would make sure he fixed the living room properly.

Hanji had left water on the nightstand for him, and Levi was grateful for that until he reached for it and it shattered in his grip. Thankfully the water didn’t reach the bed, and Levi had no idea how his hand escaped getting sliced up by glass shards.

He cursed and called for Hanji, his scratchy voice barely cooperating. Several hoarse cries later, the brunette appeared.

“What did you do?” She asked, surprised.

Levi gave an aborted shrug, helpless.

His strength, it seemed, came in bursts. He had to be careful. His body felt weak, hungry, but food made him feel sick. Levi ate for Hanji’s sake, managing small portions and a lot of water. From plastic cups this time. Easier to clean up.

Levi made it to the living room, curling up in the blankets that remained there. The ones that Hanji hadn’t carted off because of blood, at least. They smelled of Eren, and Levi would only admit that the scent of him was comforting to himself. Levi stretched out there, bundled up, and he stared at the TV which Hanji left on for him. Watched the increasingly alarming news headlines, stories of freak storms and flooding streets all over the country.

Rivaille wasn’t sticking to any one spot, it seemed.

Behind him he left a trail of bloody crime scenes, but no bodies. Just the leftovers, alleyways stained in red, just red everywhere. Horrified reporters struggled through their carefully crafted stories. Fear was spreading, of terrible groups of cruel killers.

If only they knew what was really behind the carnage.

 

Days passed, and Levi was getting tired of being weak and impossibly strong at varying times. He’d told Hanji to give him a wide berth, unsure of when he wouldn’t be able to move, or when he’d be able to crush her head without thinking.

Walking was easier. He only collapsed occasionally now, and every step was uncomfortable.

Levi’s whole being felt anxious, like he was expecting another bout of agony at any moment. Sometimes the discomfort was very acute, in certain places. He woke in the middle of the night, hands and feet heavy and hurting.

And bleeding.

His nails were gone, replaced with small, curving claws. The skin of his fingers darkened at the tips, lightening from charcoal to grey and melting into his natural skin tone from fingertips to his knuckles. It was the same with his feet, toes tipped in the same, blackened claws as his fingers. The same, dark skin that faded, lighter and lighter to normal at his ankles.

Concern had spiked in him. He’d turned his hands over, back and front, staring at the sticky red that lingered.

He’d figured he was dreaming when something warm snuck into his blankets, and he turned to find a vision of Eren looming close. Curved against him, warm through the thin layer of clothes. Glowing gaze fond as he took Levi’s hands in his own, bringing them to his mouth to kiss, gentle lips pressed to fingertips, then every knuckle. Slowly, with something like reverence. An arm hooked around Levi’s side, the weight of it resting over one of Levi’s bite marks, and his eyes rolled at the feeling.

In his dream, Eren held him close and cleaned him up. Licked his fingers clean like some damned animal, and Levi liked it. Purred in his arms, just as much of a beast as the brunet.

Eren kissed him, tongue tasting of Levi’s own blood.

And then he was gone.

Levi’s sleep was dreamless again, just an endless, black void. Peaceful. He woke only once more, hungry. Dragged himself to the kitchen and worked his way through a bowl of fruit he’d been able to fetch down from the counter. Hanji had, thankfully, started to restock the house. She had to do it in bursts, always worried about leaving her friend alone for too long. He convinced her to leave for a bit, and he didn’t so much as move until she returned. Like the woman would have been able to tell if he was overexerting himself, even from the supermarket.

Hanji was motherly like that.

Levi was grateful that he’d gotten her to go shopping. It got her out of the house, away from the pitiful sight of her friend.

He fell back asleep, and when he woke his hands and feet were both clean of blood. Not a trace of it to be found, and Hanji could still be heard breathing evenly on the couch.

His mouth tasted of copper, and Levi didn’t want to think about what that meant.

The day passed in bursts of fitful sleep, and Levi kept himself well bundled in his blankets. He didn’t want Hanji to see the changes and worry, especially when he didn’t have any explanation to comfort her with.

Hanji peered out of the windows periodically, drawing the blinds closed, and muttered to herself. Levi found he could hear remarkably well, and listened to her grumble about how she kept spotting flashes of Eren skulking about the yard outside. Hovering near to the house, never going too far.

It was true. Levi could feel his presence near, with no idea how or why that was possible.

The kid was sticking around, though. Idling about the house, keeping his distance. Levi could feel Eren’s worry, and wondered if the brunet could sense the pain Levi was in. The confusion in him.

Because there was a lot of it.

Levi made more of an effort to eat, though food tasted odd in his mouth now. He let Hanji tend to him, sensing jealousy from Eren where he loitered outside.

So many questions lingered in Levi’s head that he wanted to ask Eren, but he would not come nearer. Wary of Hanji and her wrath, perhaps? Wary of Levi’s wrath, more likely. Levi wasn’t sure what he felt. Anger…maybe. He could be angry later, when he knew why Eren had bitten him. Why he had freaked out. Why he had left Levi to suffer through that agony.

Levi had never been more vulnerable, completely consumed by his anguish. He sensed that Eren thought it had felt wrong, too, though there was nothing to do about that now.

Eren comforted him where he could, in dreams at night. Levi suspected they were more than dreams, and he considered telling Hanji. Didn’t though. The brunette would feel safer without knowing that Eren could slip into her house without her knowing. Eren was going to great lengths to make them both feel safe, trying not to overstep any boundaries.

Any _more_ boundaries, at least.

 

This time when Levi woke in the middle of the night, it was his lower back that was protesting. He rolled over amidst his blankets, eyes going wide when he felt something pressed beneath him. It tensed with him as he tensed, and moved when he moved.

Skin connected where it shouldn’t, a whole other appendage curled across the floor. It protruded from just above his ass, the same tone of skin all the way down to just before the tip where it darkened to grey and then charcoal. Some kind of dark fluff sprouted from the end, soft to the touch.

A tail. A goddamned tail.

He tugged at the appendage, checking for any damage where it must have grown through. Levi was glad that he’d been able to sleep through it. That would have been painful.

No blood, this time. Thank God, because Levi wasn’t letting Eren anywhere near his ass for the moment.

Levi wasn’t sure what to do with this new thing. He focused on moving it, finding it trickier to do anything when he was actively trying. The tail easily expressed his frustration, though, when it thumped to the floor a few moments later.

Another tool for expressing himself, Levi supposed.

Another weird tool. Maybe he would get used to it?

The brunet arrived, and Levi had only the barest doubt that it could be a dream. He played dumb and didn’t say anything, pretended not to know. Because Eren holding him, worming into his nest and winding arms about him, was the most comforting thing he’d felt. Levi hadn’t heard Eren come in. Hadn’t sensed him, either, and he glowered in suspicion, wondering about concealing spells while Eren made himself comfortable beside him.

Nuzzled him like a cat, and tugged him close. Rolled onto his back so that Levi could sprawl across his front, and smiled up at him with something like wonder. His eyes alight, literally and figuratively, and Levi felt like the room was brighter than it had been for him a moment ago.

Were his eyes also glowing?

Could he do that now?

Eren made a playful grab for Levi’s new tail, kissing him to quieten the startled noise the raven made. Those cheeky fingers curled around Levi’s tail close to the base, thumb stroking the silky skin of it, and Levi flushed. Felt almost vulnerable, like he was putting a lot of trust in Eren to allow the brunet to handle him in that way. Eren was gentle with him, wary of aches and twinges in the brand new skin. Tugged upwards carefully, and watched Levi’s flush spread. Got swatted away and bitten at for being a shit. Eren accepted Levi’s bad mood, curling up with the sleepy raven. He coiled his tail around Levi’s own, and that was acceptable enough.

Together, they shifted to find the best position for comfort.

Levi stared at Eren, tired. He let his eyes wander, wishing that Eren would give up his little dream act. Give in and come back to the house for good, just talk to him. But it was late, or early. Who knew? He laid his head on Eren’s chest, still bare. Warm against the side of his face. Located silvery patterns of bite marks on Eren’s skin, marks put there by another. He was too tired to act on the urge he felt to leave his own mark there. Too tired to bother being alarmed that he hadn’t thought an urge to bite someone was abnormal.

Levi waited. Put off sleep for a while, but it was pointless.

It was obvious that Eren was not going to talk to him about what was going on. With him. With them. Eren was taking small moments of comfort where he could, as Levi was in not pushing the brunet away.

He just wanted to hold and be held, knowing that come sunrise he would be alone again. Alone, with only the smell of Eren on his skin as proof that the brat had even been there.

“Sweet dreams, Eren.” Levi mumbled against the boy’s shoulder, feeling Eren stiffen. The raven smirked. “Nice try, you shit.”

 

Levi was, in fact, alone when he woke again. The next thing to become apparent was the fact that Eren’s presence was no longer detectable just outside, and Levi figured that he’d scared the twerp off for the moment now that he’d called Eren out on his bogus it’s-only-a-dream magic cliché.

No doubt Eren was off thinking about what he’d done. Hopefully he’d man up and just come and talk to Levi, because the raven really wanted to know what the fuck was going on.

He tested his legs again, walking around the house. Still tiring, and moving in a straight line was tricky.

Hanji had cheered up enough to find it funny watching her friend walking around like a toddler, even snorting at the icy glares he sent her way. She didn’t understand what was happening with him either, but Levi wasn’t dying and that was enough for the both of them to return to functioning like their usual, bickering selves.

“Do we have celery?”

“It’s in the fridge.” Hanji called from somewhere in the house. “Go for it.”

Levi could imagine the exact kind of dismissive wave she would have given, no doubt absorbed in another task.

“Why are you so mean to me?”

“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”

He had another turn. Pain, blinding in its intensity. Levi remembered crumpling to the kitchen floor, and the next thing he knew Hanji was trying to fish him out of one of the kitchen cupboards. He’d made it inside there…somehow. His blanket was in tatters, and Hanji went white at the sight of him. Clawed, tailed, teeth sharp when he snapped at her even through his pain. Hanji turned red next, scarlet with anger, and Levi howled while he listened to her hissing out death threats aimed at the ceiling, meant for a demon who wasn’t present.

Eren didn’t reveal himself that night.

Levi only extracted himself from the cupboard the following morning and he felt…oddly amazing, actually. Not stiff, not sore. Still weak and wobbly, but without the weariness he’d been feeling.

His ears felt wrong and he found out why looking in the bathroom mirror.

Once-rounded ears were longed now, more elfin. More animal. Levi’s hair was a little longer in this state, and he contemplated cutting it. That could wait, though. He went about some semblance of a morning routine. Hanji seemed surprised when he’d hobbled into the living room after a shower, hair still damp and wearing yet another odd match of Moblit’s clothes.

The raven locks were long enough that they could be easily tucked behind his ears, and Levi did just that. It was one of few ways to keep the strands out of his face, without going in search of bobby pins.

Hanji didn’t mention anything about the changes, although it was impossible not to notice.

Settling into the blanket pile, Levi prepared himself for another day of scanning the news to keep tabs on Rivaille’s latest progress in terrorising the country. It was the least he could be doing. He could go for a few laps of the house later, see if his stamina had improved.

There was a knock at the door.

Levi’s head snapped up at the sound, like a meerkat sensing danger. This, though, was probably the farthest thing from danger.

He knew before he even got up, dashing down the hallway for the door before Hanji could think to do it. Levi’s dash was fast but shaky, and he wrenched the door open with a snarl.

Proven right when his gaze met burning teal, he narrowed his eyes.

“Eren.” Levi greeted with a scowl, keeping his eyes on the brunet as he called over his shoulder into the house. “Hanji! Get the broom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, sorry for the wait (literally a thousand apologies). I know it's been ages, but I'm back finally. And this fic has my no.1 priority at the moment, so I'll be trying to get as many updates done as I can.
> 
> There's a lot of stuff that's about to happen, which is why I left the fic where I did. But now we're getting into the thick of things.
> 
> Finally.
> 
> Sorry once again, and thank you so much to everyone for managing to be supportive even through this long-ass wait. You are appreciated so much, God bless you.


	57. Explain, After All This Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this took a little longer to get out than I thought. Christmas, life decisions, and being poor are a bitch.
> 
> But at last, here this is

“You look good.” Were the first words out of Eren’s mouth.

Still so hopeful and eager, standing there with eyes that shone with approval.

He loitered there on the doorstep, not a strip of clothing on him like it was normal. Like Levi wasn’t supposed to be distracted by all that skin. Thankfully for him, Levi was plenty angry enough not to want to jump Eren’s bones.

Rain had started, a light drizzle that was more mist than proper rain. The air was wet with it.

Eren was wet with it, hair damp with the first touches of it. He’d made it under cover before getting soaked, but little droplets still made their way down Eren’s skin.

_Don’t be distracted. Keep it together, Levi._

Levi raised an eyebrow at him, arms folded, glare still in place. Leaning heavily against the doorway when his legs threatened to give out, he hoped to play it off as a casual pose. If Eren thought he could sweet talk his way out of trouble, he was going to get a nasty shock.

“Can I touch you?” Eren asked.

Like it would be any different. Levi was afraid it would be.

“Please, Levi. Tell me I can. Say it’s okay. Please.”

“I don’t know why you’re asking for permission now.” Levi said frankly. “You didn’t seem to need it when you snuck into the house like a goddamned thief.”

With all of his careful magic, cancelling out sound and dulling sensation. Trying to make Levi believe that it was all a dream, just so that they could lie there together and pretend for a few moments that there was nothing wrong.

“I had to.” Eren seemed to be struggling with words, his throat thick with emotion. “I couldn’t just let you be, not when I could feel your pain.”

“What about all the other pain?”

Eren closed his eyes tight, frustrated with himself or with Levi. There was no way to know. His tail was wrapped tight about his leg, a tell-tale sign of unease.

“You should have been with me the whole time.” The brunet said, and he sounded regretful. “It’s a vulnerable process.”

A memory of immeasurable agony filtered through Levi’s mind, the all-consuming pain that had cut out any other awareness. No sight, sound, barely any feeling other than the acid in his veins. No room for the fear of who could have been there, or whether Levi had been utterly alone at any moment. Just pain.

Vulnerable couldn’t begin to describe the process.

Levi swallowed. “Yeah, you can say that again.”

There was a darkness in Eren’s eyes, and Levi could tell that he knew. That he’d known the exact extent of Levi’s agony. That he’d even felt it before, although perhaps not in the same way. They’d both known impossible pain now, in the most literal sense.

“But I couldn’t just…walk in the front door.” Eren said the words knowing how stupid they sounded, how ridiculous it was for a demon of all things to respect a human’s rules. But Eren had respected Hanji’s decision to hunt him away, knowing full well what it had looked like when she’d come home. “I wanted to stay with you. But I couldn’t without…”

“What? Offing Hanji?”

“Yes.” Eren levelled him with an unimpressed look, not in the mood for Levi’s antics. Too bad for him. “It was her house, and I knew she would take care of you.”

“Even though she chased your chicken ass away?”

“It became clear that I wasn’t welcome.” Eren admitted. He had the decency to look shamefaced. “I never went far. That much I can promise you. I was keeping a close eye on you, and I wouldn’t have let anything happen that wasn’t meant to.”

Levi took a moment to digest that. He frowned. “So you _did_ mean for this to happen, then?”

Eren winced. “No, not like this. Never like this.” He paced a little, frantic. “There was supposed to be a discussion, I was going to tell you, tell you what was going to happen. But…things just don’t seem to want to go to plan.”

He stopped pacing, looking so torn when he next glanced at Levi. Eren was respecting the fact that Levi had not granted him permission to touch him, not yet. Even though yearning was written all over the brunet’s face, wanting to be closer. Wanting to reconcile with Levi, to relearn the shape of him and all his new additions.

Levi tapped his fingers against his forearm. “Why don’t you tell me what you’ve done to me?”

He suspected some of it. There was only so much that a tail and claws could mean, especially knowing Eren. But knowing the finer details of the situation would be important, Levi could feel that much.

“Later?” Eren tried.

His fingers flexed, then curled into fists. Levi watched the movement.

“I don’t think so.” He said, sounding an awful lot like a parent demanding the truth from a bratty child.

Eren’s lip curled for the barest moment, but he suppressed the hiss that might have otherwise escaped. His frustration was clear, but the both of them knew that Eren was skating on thin ice as it was. He wouldn’t risk an argument.

“Will you let me in?” Eren was still trying for something, anything to get in off that porch.

He chewed at his bottom lip, worrying the skin there. Started to whine at Levi’s silence, only to abort the sound. Eren looked like a lost hound locked out of its yard, wandering the streets, looking desperately for a warm place to lie down.

Levi had half a mind to go scratch behind Eren’s ears. He deliberated for longer than was necessary, watching the brunet squirm.

“Will you answer some fucking questions?” Levi asked, only after Eren looked like he might burst from anticipation.

Eren nodded vigorously, his tail whipping up a storm behind him. The brunet grabbed blindly for said tail in an effort to stop its eager swishing.

“Yes.” Eren was all but bouncing, eyes wide and hopeful. “Yes, anything you want.”

“Good. Fuck knows I need some answers.”

There was a scuffling sound.

Levi knew well enough to scoot to the side, just in the nick of time.

A streak of colour came tearing out of the doorway, and Hanji was barrelling past Levi with a banshee-like scream. Eren squeaked at the sight of her. Broom in hand, she swung with frightening accuracy. Clobbered Eren with the bristly end, hissing for him to leave. He yelped and tried to duck. Got swatted at again.

Levi blinked at the scene, indifferent where he felt a past version of himself might have been confused or concerned.

Both, probably.

He wondered what Hanji’s neighbours would think if they were to look out their window right about now. Then again they were probably well used to her eccentricities that this would barely phase them.

“I was kidding, you know?” The raven said, tone dry, when Hanji paused in her frenzied clobbering to catch her breath.

She straightened, breathing a little strained from the sudden burst of activity. Hanji shrugged at him. Eren was busy cowering from her, arms over his head and eyes watchful through said arm-shield, wary of another spontaneous attack.

But the brunette seemed satisfied with having gotten a few good swings in on the demon. She looked just as ready to start sweeping the porch.

Hanji eyed Levi for a moment.

“I’m guessing there’s some sort of brilliant explanation that I’m missing.” She said. “Or you wouldn’t be so calm.”

For someone who’d been mauled by their demonic boyfriend only days ago, Levi supposed that he was fairly calm. Maybe he was the insane one after all?

“I’ll let you know when I hear it.” Levi muttered, his eyes still on Eren.

Eren who whined from where he was crouched, hands up to keep Hanji’s broom at bay if necessary. Looking like an affronted cat that had been left out all night, and wanted desperately to scuttle back into the house for food and belly rubs. The comparison was uncanny, though Levi could relate. At least to the desire for comfort. For affection. Eren aimed big, sad eyes at Levi, and the raven could have sworn he heard his resolve cracking.

Levi sent a helpless glance skywards, seeing nothing but greying clouds and steadily increasing rainfall.

“Stop it with the eyes.” The raven said, running a hand over his face. “Just come inside already.”

Hanji was the first to go, accepting that she knew just about nothing in the way of demons and their fucked up rituals. Maybe biting your boyfriend and putting him through agony was just another harmless date night in Eren’s book, but who knew?

Eren knew. And he wasn’t going to answer any questions without being brought inside and reconciled with Levi’s arms, no doubt. Demons really did make troublesome lovers.

The happy swish of Eren’s tail brought Levi from his thoughts, and he glowered at said demon. Crouched still, all hopeful smiles and energetic tail movements. Pleased to have been invited in, determined to worm his way back into Levi’s good books by any means necessary no doubt.

“You’ve got a hell of a lot of explaining to do, mister.” Levi informed him. “And not just to me.”

Eren sighed and sank forward onto his knees, settling there.

“I know.” He said.

“Do you have any idea what you just put me through?” Levi asked. Nothing rhetorical about it. “What you put Hanji through? She thought I was _dying_. And let me tell you, it fucking _felt_ like I was dying.”

Another flickering memory, the barest awareness of pain making his skin tingle.

Eren looked up at him, eyes flashing. He knew. Knew what Levi was feeling. What he was thinking too, no doubt.

“I know.” Eren said, almost like he was admitting to Levi’s accusatory thoughts. “I’m…I’m so sorry, Levi. That was never meant to happen the way it did.”

Levi narrowed his eyes. “I want to say that I can’t believe you planned to bite me, but I can’t because of course you would.” He hissed, watching Eren wince. Levi threw his hands in the air in a helpless gesture of frustration. “Of course you _did_. Fucking demons.”

He turned on his heel, and hobbled off into the house.

Not being able to stomp around without falling on his ass really took the edge off of his icy displays.

“Come help me get to a flat surface, brat.” The raven snapped over his shoulder.

A whooshing noise reached Levi, and he was being scooped up and off his feet in a moment. Eren rushed them through to the living room, sparing a moment to look guiltily at the state of the place. Missing furniture since he’d last been there. Eren knelt by Levi’s blanket nest and set the man down there, hands lingering on his skin. Reaching for his hands, his legs. Pulling the limbs up to inspect fingers and toes, eyes narrowing in inspection. He was thorough, checking on Levi’s claws before he let the raven properly settle.

Levi let it happen, watching the concerned frown that occupied Eren’s face as he worked. Sniffed at Levi’s fingers, looking for hints of infection. Licked at the skin there, apparently deeming everything to be in acceptable condition after that.

“You’re healthy, but unstable.” Eren informed him happily.

He looked proud, thumbing over Levi’s darkened knuckles. Levi tugged his hand away.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on here?” Levi asked him.

He gestured to himself, in case the question wasn’t blindingly clear.

Eren reached for his tail instead, trying to worm his hands around to grab at the twitching appendage. Levi smacked his hand away, a fruitless effort. They were all but wrestling by the time Hanji entered the room, mugs of tea in hand. She clicked her tongue at them.

“Oi. No freaky demon hanky-panky in my living room.” Hanji chided, sitting herself down on the sofa.

The two on the floor froze, Levi subtly shoving at Eren who had managed to settle half on top of him. Hanji stared at them, then at the two mugs she held, and the lack of a coffee table thanks to Levi’s freakish strength during his pain-induced thrashing.

“You want this?” She asked, holding one mug out in Levi’s direction. “Or should I just drink it?”

Eren darted over, and by the time Hanji blinked she was one cup short. The brunet pressed the newly acquired mug into Levi’s hands, fussing over him while Levi elbowed him in the ribs for being a “smothering bastard”.

“So?” Hanji began, taking on the role of meeting leader since the other two were busy being twerps on the floor. “Start talking, Eren. What have you done to Levi?”

No beating around the bush for Hanji, she asked her question and waited in unimpressed silence for her answers.

Eren winced, allowing himself to be shoved off of Levi finally. He didn’t go far. Arranging himself into a cross-legged position at the edge of Levi’s blanket nest, the brunet tugged one of the blankets over his lap to preserve at least some modesty.

To her credit, Hanji hadn’t seemed phased.

“First,” Eren started, letting go of a long sigh, “I want to apologise. For the whole clusterfuck that I put you both through.” He looked at the floor, playing absentmindedly with the fuzzy end of his tail. “I wasn’t in any right state of mind when I bit Levi. A lot happened in Hell, and it took a bigger toll on me than I had anticipated. I was waiting to get back to normal, but someone strange came to the door and I panicked.”

“So your immediate response to panic was to bite your boyfriend?” Hanji asked, sceptical.

Eren didn’t bother trying to defend himself on that topic.

“It’s more normal than you might think.” He said instead. “Biting Levi the way I did was something very specific, and I did it for specific reasons.”

There were reasons for biting people?

Levi downed the contents of his mug, wishing it was something a little stronger than tea. He set the cup aside with a deep sigh.

“Reasons?” Hanji prompted.

Levi was frankly quite impressed with how well she was directing the conversation. More answers were leaving Eren now, and more freely, than they had in a while.

“To keep him safe.” Eren said, glancing over at the raven. “Make him stronger.”

Levi would have scoffed, if he hadn’t been busy scowling with the petty intent of setting Eren on fire. It didn’t work.

“I can barely walk, you fucker.” Levi snapped instead.

Eren’s ears flicked back against his head for a moment in response to Levi’s tone, the volume of his voice. He didn’t flinch, though.

“That’s because I haven’t been able to finish the ritual.” Eren explained, and he glowered in Hanji’s direction for a long moment. She flipped him the bird in response. “It’s a process, and there are consequences when it is interrupted.”

To make his point, Eren waved a hand at Levi.

The raven glared, but he was also instantly aware of himself, of the new differences in his appearance. Blotches of charcoal that darkened the skin of his sides now like bruises, hidden for the moment beneath his shirt. Inky fingers and toes, how strange it looked after he’d been used to his own, much paler skin tone. Levi grimaced at the thought of his inability to hold a cup without crushing it, of which there was proof swept up and dumped into Hanji’s kitchen bin. Collections of shattered porcelain from more than one unfortunate mug. Even the simple tasks of standing and walking, or even maintaining his balance, seemed impossibly difficult.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Levi hissed over at the brunet. “I’m going to be some unstable, half-crippled anomaly for the rest of my life?”

What if there was no easy fix? What if this was it? Levi wouldn’t be able to go out of the house alone again, needing support to go further than the hallway. He would be the town freak if anyone ever saw the claws he’d sprouted, not to mention the fucking tail.

He’d have to quit his job. What the hell would he tell Mike? ‘ _Sorry I can’t work anymore, I’m a half-demon cripple now? I’ll be fine, probably. Unless I get demon rabies._ ’

At least the big man would have irrefutable proof that demons were involved.

There were hands on his face then, thumbs stroking to soothe away Levi’s distress, and when he looked up Eren filled his vision.

“No.” Eren said, those earnest eyes of his reading Levi’s worry like it was written right there on his face. “Levi, no. You are going to be fine. Just fine, do you hear me?”

“But you said-” Levi cut himself off, confused, “-about consequences?”

Eren shook his head. “You’re experiencing the consequences right now. Partial transformation, bouts of pain, weakness and strength without warning.” He squeezed Levi’s shoulders with gentle hands. “It’s nothing I can’t fix; we just have to complete the process.”

“What will completing the process do?” Hanji cut in.

Levi felt glad of her presence. Eren couldn’t sweet talk his way out of answering her, as he seemed prone to attempting with Levi at times. Whenever he didn’t want to overwhelm or upset the raven, he tried to avoid the subject. It drove Levi around the bend sometimes.

Most of the time, actually. He preferred honesty, and Hanji was one hell of a stubborn ass when she wanted to be.

“It will solidify Levi’s demonhood.” Eren said.

He kept his eyes on Levi, reading his reaction.

Levi blinked at him. “You what now?”

It made too much sense to question beyond that. To be fair, he wasn’t as surprised as Hanji.

“You made my best friend into a demon?!” She shrieked.

Levi’s ears found the volume offensive, flattening to his head. He tried to think when they had changed to be able to do that. Levi wondered if Hanji would make a grab for the broom again. Eren looked like he was wondering the same thing, eyeing Hanji with some suspicion in his bright eyes.

“Yes.” He answered, wary but truthful. “And I had planned to do so, as you now know, Levi.” Eren turned back to the raven. “I wanted to tell you about the process first, about what would happen. To prepare you. But that’s all null and void now. I am sorry.”

Eren was saying sorry an awful lot today.

Levi swallowed.

Okay. So…so he was a demon now. Or a half demon, according to Eren and his radical Hell rituals. Which meant physical changes, obviously. He’d seen that much already. What more, though?

“What does this mean for me?” He asked.

Levi was not unaware of the tail that was trying to coil around his, no doubt so that Eren could check for whatever the heck he was looking for earlier.

He nestled further into his blanket pile.

“It means you’ll be safer.” Eren answered when he got swatted away, yet again. “When I bit you, it was to protect you. Humans are so delicate, and it’s too dangerous for you to stay that way. Not with what’s coming.”

Memories of horrific news reports slammed to the forefront of Levi’s mind.

“You mean who.” He said.

It wasn’t a question.

Eren flinched.

“I know your freaky fiancé is taking a vacation here on Earth.” Levi said, and from the look on Eren’s face the brunet had been hoping that Levi had forgotten all about that terrifying incident in the warehouse. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about that, but you were conversationally challenged.”

“Indeed.” Eren admitted, ducking his head. “You want to know about Rivaille?”

“That could be fucking handy, yeah.”

“Alright.”

Score and double score. Eren was handing out answers left, right, and centre today.

“First, though, what’s going to happen to me?” Levi asked.

It felt like a more immediate issue. Rivaille was around, but unlike Levi’s demon problems, he wasn’t affecting things in Levi’s life right then and there.

Eren was staring at him. Considering, maybe?

“I would like to finish your turning.” The brunet said finally. “Bloodshare is the last step for the type of demon you will become, and it is the reason why you are unstable now.”

Levi’s mind reeled for a moment, trying to recall if he’d heard of bloodshare before and what that could mean for him. Instead, he latched onto another area for questioning.

“Type of demon?”

There were types?

Eren nodded. He got this look in his eyes and Levi knew to prepare himself for a lesson in demonic lore.

If only this had been available to take as a high school elective. A younger Levi would have eaten this shit right up.

“There aren’t many types of demon.” Eren started. “We’re pretty straightforward, most of the time. Most demons emerge in Hell when their earthly forms die and are deemed unworthy for reincarnation. The term for that kind of demon is Hell-born, obviously because the new creature begins its existence in Hell.”

Obviously, Levi thought sarcastically to himself.

Eren shot him a glare, and Levi was really starting to wonder if that little shit could read his thoughts by now.

Eren continued. “There are other demon classes, but they are more related to power.” He waved that off as unimportant. “What happened to you was that I, a Hell-born demon, turned you from your human state into a demon. That is done with venom, and not all demons can do it.”

Levi blinked stupidly at him for a long moment.

“I have a venomous boyfriend.” Levi said with a helpless glance in Hanji’s direction. He covered his face with his hands and groaned. “That’s not a thing I even want to consider.”

She shrugged at him. “You sure do know how to pick ‘em, honey.”

It was a lot to process, but at the same time Eren had been quite explicit with the information he handed out. Only a few kinds of demons, with their levels of power acting as a secondary distinguisher. Some demons possessed a venomous trait that, according to Eren, could be used on a human candidate to transform them into a demon.

“So…you bit me, and now I’m a demon?” Levi thought aloud.

He peered at Eren through the fingers that had been covering his face.

“Essentially.” Eren affirmed. He made a face. “But I was attempting to integrate two processes and, without being able to finish that, it left you in this unbalanced and weakened state.”

“So this isn’t normal?”

Eren shook his head. “ _Normally_ when it’s done, it is to create a slave or minion class demon from a living human. That is the only state in which such a transformation is possible. We can’t do it to our own kind.”

The brunet gave a start when he noticed the way Levi was squinting at him.

“Levi?”

“Eren.” The raven said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Did you try to make me into your minion?”

Eren withered considerably under Levi’s glower. He held up his hands in an attempt to pacify the raven, shaking his head.

“You won’t become that type,” he said, still shaking his head vigorously, “and that was never my intention. I would never.”

Levi reached over to smack him anyway.

“And these slave demons? What are they for?”

“It’s a very basic sort of control, prolonged life, that sort of thing.” Eren dodged his next slap attempt. “An enslaved demon’s lifespan is linked directly to that of their creator.”

Levi glanced at Hanji but she just shrugged, so he asked. “Huh?”

“If the creator dies, so does the demon.” The way Eren said it made Levi acutely aware of the way they were connected now.

Not physically, but more than that. Even without being a full demon yet, Levi knew that he was relying on another creature just to stay alive. If Eren died…then that would be it for him too.

“Fucking great.” He muttered.

“I know. I was going to wait. It was a terrible time to make this move.” Eren whimpered out more apologies.

Levi kicked him. “You can cry about it later, after you’ve fixed me.”

“What happens when you…uh…fix him?” Hanji piped up. “He won’t be enslaved?”

Crossing his arms, Levi settled in to listen to the answer to that one. He had no plans on becoming anyone’s slave, not even Eren’s.

Not even with those big, sad eyes aimed his way. Nope.

Ah fuck.

Eren yelped when he was tugged Levi’s way, but realised quickly that he wasn’t under any sort of attack. Levi pulled the twerp against him, Eren’s back snug against his chest. Eren tipped his head back to blink up at him, all pout and watery eyes.

“Ahem.” Hanji cleared her throat, though she looked unsurprised when both males glanced her way. “I don’t suppose you guys could hold off on your gross reunion smooching until we have all the answers we need?”

She aimed a meaningful stare at Levi.

He shrugged with one shoulder. “Sorry, Hanj. He was being cute.”

“You have no self-control.”

“None.” He agreed, hugging Eren against him.

The brunet started purring.

“Eren?” Hanji tried again.

He blinked over at her, looking a little dazed. “Huh?”

“What’s the difference between these slave-class demons and what Levi will be?”

Eren sniffled, finding careful circles being rubbed into his sides, Levi being mindful of the claws he was not yet used to.

It took him a moment to focus, but eventually Eren answered. “Hopefully, freedom.”

“Freedom?” Hanji parroted.

“That’s the difference?” Levi asked by Eren’s ear.

He felt the younger male nod.

“Slave demons are called that for a reason.” Eren said with a tone like regret. “They have very little in the way of free will; they have to adhere to their creator’s wishes and demands.” He tilted his head back again to look at Levi, holding his gaze from upside down. “What I am attempting is to make you a free demon by taking you on as my mate through bloodshare.”

Levi arched a brow in confusion. “Bloodshare?”

“That’s a mate-specific ritual.” Eren answered.

“So like what you’ve done with Rivaille?”

Eren flushed. “We’ve completed the bloodshare ritual, yes. It will not need to be so extreme between us, since we are already tied together, for the moment as slave and master. Sharing blood changes the kind of thrall that I would have, likewise you would have power over me as well, and most importantly you would not be a slave.”

Levi squinted down at him until Eren started to worry, his ears twitching. Finally, Levi flicked his nose, lighter than he would have if he’d been properly agitated.

“I’m glad you said that,” Levi admitted, “cos I was just about ready to punch you in the dick while I still had the will to do it.”

That had Eren squirming, rolling half onto his side as if to protect his threatened nether regions.

Levi snorted at him. “You little shit.”

“I never intended to have you that way, Levi.” Eren said, lowering his eyes almost regretfully. “Although I have been trying to find a way to keep you with me, to keep you safe.”

Eren curled himself closer, and Levi felt bad for the kid. He swathed him better in the blankets, all but inviting Eren in to cuddle.

The things Eren wanted seemed so simple sometimes, and yet he couldn’t have gone about it a more complicated way.

“You were already doing a great job of that.” Levi sighed, ruffling Eren’s hair. “Honestly, I don’t think I signed up for safety when I decided to date a demon.”

He really, really hadn’t. Demonic boyfriend. Psycho ex. Unhinged demon rival. The list went on.

Eren nodded, humming his agreement. “I should have made an explanatory brochure.”

“That would have been helpful, yeah.” Levi scoffed. “But I probably would have been scared off by all the near-death experiences. Being a weakling mortal and all.”

Eren elbowed him, getting pinched for his trouble.

“It’s no laughing matter. Humans are brittle little creatures; you wouldn’t have even made a good chew toy for one of my kind. You will have a better chance now.” The brunet said.

“At being a chew toy?” Levi tried to joke, only for Eren to glare at him. “What? I didn’t have a chance before?”

Teal eyes were solemn as they held Levi’s gaze. “Against Rivaille? If he came for you? No.”

Levi thought about that. “That’s the real reason behind this change, then?”

Eren sighed, and Levi knew he was right. In the long run, as a human, Levi had no chance of winning in any sort of contest between himself and Rivaille. Levi would have lived, died, and Eren would have had to mourn him. Would have had to move on, not to mention that Rivaille wouldn’t have the disadvantage of looking older and older.

No doubt Levi would have become demon snack food long before he’d have been given the chance to grow old.

As much as it worried him, Eren’s actions made sense. If Eren wanted to remain with Levi, this was the only way. Demons weren’t like humans in that Eren had been around a long, long time. He would probably be around for a long, long time too. The kid knew what it was like to exist like that alone. Despite his complaints and worries, Eren had to have been completely sure about accepting Rivaille as his mate. Deep down, Eren knew that was not a light commitment. It was something that he had wanted, maybe not entirely. But any fears he’d had were not enough to dissuade him from the idea of a possible eternity with Rivaille bonded to him.

And that meant that when Eren said he wanted to keep Levi with him, keep him safe, he was planning on doing that for just as long.

“Even he can’t argue against my keeping you if we’re mates.” Eren thought aloud, still worrying himself about Rivaille and what he would think of his actions. “Officially there will be nothing that he can do. Being mated to someone is a big deal, and our bond will be set in blood just as it is between Rivaille and I.”

Levi felt especially discomforted by Eren’s use of the word “officially”.

“Bride number two.” He muttered. “Well that makes me feel great.”

Eren rolled to face him properly, eyes narrowed. “I’m not gathering some harem of demonic mates, Levi.” He snarled at the thought. “I’m trying to protect you from Rivaille.” A sigh left him. “And Rivaille from himself.”

The raven cocked a brow at that. “That crazy fucker can go jump for all I care.”

“He’s not-” Eren stopped himself, grimacing. He took a calming breath, “…Rivaille’s state of mind is complicated. But you should not mock him for it.”

“Going to defend hubby number one, now? This should be good.”

Light danced behind Eren’s eyes. His voice caught in his throat, a low, thrumming growl. Levi wasn’t sure how he knew, but the sound seemed distinctly frustrated.

“I won’t argue with you about this.” Eren said when he was able to. He sighed, weary, and pleaded. “Please understand, I could not choose one over the other. Just because I found you later does not make you the other man.”

“I suppose polygamy is all the rage in Hell?” Levi retorted.

Eren glowered at him for that, but he didn’t say anything. Seemed to be sorting out things in his head, trying to think up the least troubling string of words he could manage.

A sigh rustled from Levi’s lungs, loud in the quiet of the room.

For all his affronted behaviour, Levi found that he wasn’t that angry. As was becoming a regular thing nowadays, Levi was just tired. There were a hundred and one things that he didn’t understand about demons, about Hell, about anything and everything that was happening.

It was pointless to get worked up over things that were completely different from what he was used to. Levi had gone through breakups and crazed exes, and Eren had gone through blood bonds. There was no common ground there. Nothing at all to give Levi a chance at putting his current experiences into context. As a human, this should be a horrifying and wretched situation.

But Levi wasn’t a human anymore. Why should he act like one?

That in itself was a new kind of thinking, and Levi wondered just how much he had changed already. How much more he would change when Eren was through with him, and how different he would be. Levi barely knew himself in this new form, this refreshed mind.

He could use a fresh start, a relatively clean slate to build himself back up. Without the worries and old hurt of ex partners, devoid of the usual weakness of mortality.

So then…Levi got himself a fresh start.

And Eren got himself…two unstable, demonic freaks for mates. Levi didn’t know if that counted as a win or a terrible blunder of a fail, but he chuckled to himself either way. When Eren raised an eyebrow at him, Levi could only offer him a smile. Helplessly amused by the ridiculousness of their situation.

“You do seem to be getting the better end of the deal.” Levi teased.

He watched confusion play across Eren’s face as the brunet tried to discern whether or not Levi was angry with him. Left wondering by the utter lack of bitterness in the raven’s tone. Not a glimmer of resentment in the grey eyes staring at him, letting Eren read him and come to his own conclusions.

At last, without looking even a bit less confused, Eren sighed.

“What, between two bickering boyfriends?” He asked.

The raven didn’t bother to mention that he’d been having similar thoughts. He took in the look on Eren’s face, eyes earnest and mouth set in a slanted line that spoke of his weariness.

He asked, honest and tired.

Both of them tired.

Levi couldn’t help but try and joke, anything to get somewhat of a positive expression back onto Eren’s face.

“I think once blood has gone in mouths, things have gone a little beyond boyfriends.” He said.

Waited and watched for that first hint of amusement. Eren’s smile was small, but still there. A flickering of humour that faded in a moment, and he sighed. No words, but that exhale carried more than enough of Eren’s confliction.

“What’s on your mind, kid?” Levi found himself asking. “Now’s the time for talking.”

“You’re not the same person.” Eren made sure to look at Levi as he said that, eyes daring the raven to say something against him. “If that’s what you think I’m thinking, just know that you’d be dead wrong.”

“I’ve considered it.”

Eren shook his head. “You are each individual, and I couldn’t be more aware of that, but you’re both fools if you think you don’t both belong to me. And I to you, to _both_ of you.”

Levi couldn’t remember ever feeling like he’d belonged to someone in his life, not in the way that Eren was talking about. And yet there in his chest, deeper than that…some indescribable and no doubt intangible part of himself there were strings of awareness that pulled and shifted in response to every move Eren made. Even the subtleness of his breathing when the brunet bothered to keep up the habit. The slightest tilt of his head. Levi could feel it, somehow. Just barely, but undeniable.

Belonging to someone felt an awful lot like walking through a spider’s web and still feeling the remnants of silken wisps days later. Unshakable, maybe even entirely a mental thing. A kind of paranoia, but without the accompanying dread.

Levi was just…aware of Eren.

It was fucking bizarre.

Was this what Rivaille felt, being tied to Eren? Or was it stronger, since they were properly mated?

And that was another thing…

“I thought Rivaille was your only mate?” Levi said, part statement but also a reminder. “What about all your BS about fate?”

Eren had spoken about fated mates before, but it hadn’t been in the plural. A demon could have a fated mate. Singular. There had been no mention of having more than one.

Maybe this was something that even Eren was unaware of? It seemed likely, given the way Eren instantly let out a helpless exhale.

“I thought the exact, same thing.” Eren said, something in his tone telling. Levi knew he had answers, but something told him that even Eren didn’t understand the information he had.

“Tell me.” Levi prompted.

“There is an aftereffect of a first mating called separation agony. Frankly it’s a frightening thing to go through.” Eren shuddered at the memory of pain, of comfort only in Rivaille’s arms. “After experiencing separation agony, I feared that Rivaille would be the only option I had for relief from that pain. And then I came back here, found you in that damned building.”

Eren paused, his eyes shut. In thought or memory, or both? Levi did not know, but he didn’t press.

“It was exactly the same,” Eren said finally, glancing up again, “…no more pain, so long as I’m around you. Which is why you can believe me when I say that I _never_ went far from you while you were changing, even while you could not see me.”

Levi blinked, caught off guard by wide and sincere eyes. “And what about when I couldn’t feel you?”

“A simple concealment.” Eren was happy to answer. “I was wary of attracting the wrong kind of attention.”

Levi’s eyes narrowed. “You mean wife number one?”

Unless he meant Douchey-Mc-Smith?

“I wish you would stop with the labelling.” Eren sighed, and yup he meant wife number one. “But yes.”

Fair enough. Levi didn’t have to spare much thought on the matter to decide that he didn’t want Rivaille coming in a thousand mile radius of Hanji’s home.

“What’s separation agony?” He asked, avoiding the topic of Rivaille while Eren was antsy about him.

Eren winced again, and Levi felt bad for making him relive even a little of what trauma he must have endured.

“A symptom experienced by newly mated demons.” Eren explained, willing enough to talk about it. “It’s crucial that our kind remain close to each other in the early days after mating, to ensure that we form solid bonds. Demons are fickle creatures, and separation agony keeps mates together for long enough that we’re able to trust each other. In a way.”

More sense made. Fucking splendid. If only everything about demons made this much sense, then Levi would be having a fucking picnic with this shit instead of floundering.

“Will that shit happen to me when you finish making me into a demon?” Levi asked.

He sincerely hoped that the answer was no. Separation agony sounded like a shit show, and under no circumstances did he want tickets to said show.

A sigh from Eren. “I don’t know.” He said. The truth, even if it wasn’t very comforting. “This has never been done before.”

Eren gestured between them at the word “this” and Levi huffed.

“How do you know it will work?” He asked, irritated.

“I can feel it.”

“Wow.”

Eren looked like he wanted to bite him for all the sarcasm he managed to squeeze into that one word.

“I wouldn’t have tried at all if I didn’t know that I could do it.” Eren assured him. “And it has to happen soon.”

“How soon?” Hanji piped up, and Levi actually jumped at the sound of her voice.

He glared over at her, having just about forgotten that she was there. Stupid of him really, given that his ass was planted on her living room floor.

“Sorry.” She said, noticing that both of her guests looked rather startled. “I figured that this was important.”

“And all the rest wasn’t?” Levi asked her, brow raised.

Hanji barked a laugh. “Please. Demon relationship drama? You guys should start a reality TV show; you’d make a killing.”

“Literally.” Levi supplied, a hundred percent sarcastically and unhelpfully.

“No seriously, though.” Hanji prompted. “When is this ‘turning’ business needing to be going down?”

“Immediately.” Eren’s tail flicked as he spoke. He turned from Hanji back to Levi. “I’m being honest with you. Rivaille thinks of you as a pet at best, snack food at worst. Once he figures out what I’ve done, he’s going to be mad. You won’t just be some boy toy anymore, Levi. You’ll be a rival.”

Levi bit back on the urge to laugh, somewhat disdainfully, at the thought that up to this point he’d been less than a rival. Snack food? Geez.

“Well he can throw a tantrum for all I care.” Levi muttered, crossing his arms.

He resisted the urge to scoff.

Eren eyed him, trying to see if the little man was serious. “I don’t think you want to see the kind of tantrum Rivaille would throw.”

This time Levi did scoff. “I think I can imagine it.”

He’d seen what Rivaille was capable of on prime fucking television. Levi had a decidedly assured notion of the kind of tantrum that Eren’s mate could throw.

Eren narrowed his eyes, but let it go. He took a breath. Let it out. Met Levi’s gaze and held it.

“Will you let me turn you properly?” Eren asked.

His eyes pleaded, full with yearning rather than the usual puppy dog attempts. A serious plea.

Levi had no idea what to say. Yes came to mind, but it seemed too simple. There had to be some formal way to consent, but he could only sit there opening and closing his mouth on failed attempts like some kind of beached fish.

“Not to butt in,” Hanji said, butting in, “but this sounds like it’s going to be messy. And nobody is going to bleed willingly in this room without some damn tarps being put down. I’ve cleaned up enough blood over these last few days to last a lifetime.”

“You have tarps?” Levi asked, sceptical.

Hanji shook her head. “I’ll have to rush down to find a camping store.” She huffed, pushing up from the couch to go in search of car keys. “No biting, clawing, or other blood-drawing means until I get back.”

“You take all the fun out of things.” Eren called after her as she left the room.

Levi snorted. That was usually Hanji’s line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you guys actually want to see Levi getting turned or should I just move along?


	58. Turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically it's the New Year for me now, so Happy New Year everyone!
> 
> Enjoy Levi's turning chapter!

Hanji’s departure only got Eren more worked up. He was twisted up with warring needs, his instincts set on taking Levi as his new mate, on completing the change. His reasoning only barely concerned with keeping to Hanji’s wishes.

Levi wasn’t having a bar of him, though.

“No, you little shit. Hanji said to wait, so we’re damned well going to wait.”

Eren pouted, whined, growled even. Nothing could shift that stubborn scowl off of Levi’s face, though, so the brunet slumped his shoulders in defeat.

The feeling of Levi glowering at his little, sulking tantrum was tangible. Eren looked up at him, and Levi sighed.

Oh. He had something to say.

Levi sighed.  “So…Rivaille is here.”

Or something to ask, rather. And he’d chosen quite the topic.

“Rivaille is here.” Eren repeated, nodding.

Levi nodded along with him. The whole situation felt very surreal all of a sudden.

“Why is he here?” Levi asked, looking suspicious and confused all at once.

Eren didn’t blame him.

“I let him in.” He answered.

There was a moment where Levi stared at him, then the raven smacked his palm against his forehead and groaned.

“This better not be some weird, demon honeymoon thing.” He muttered, dragging his hand over his face.

Eren made a face at him. “You really need to let go of your human traditions and labels.”

Levi raised an eyebrow at him. “What, demons don’t have labels?”

Eren let go of a long sigh. “You want things to make sense, to have explanations. Not everything has to make sense, Levi.”

The glowered at each other for a long moment, sighing at the same time.

“I’m sorry.” Levi said.

“Me too.” Eren allowed, tugging at his hair helplessly. “It wasn’t as if I planned to do it. Back at the warehouse, I wasn’t strong enough to do what needed to be done. There was no way I’d have been able to get the both of us out of there.” He sighed again, somewhat heavily. “I needed help and Rivaille provided that help.”

Levi’s brow rose impossibly further. “And now he’s off gallivanting about on some unchecked, murder spree?”

Eren bit back the urge to hiss at him, feeling that it would be petty on his part.

“Rivaille said he would help me if I needed it. I didn’t know he intended to come barrelling into this world to do so.” He huffed. “Besides I figured it was courteous enough of him not to kill you while I couldn’t have stopped him, so I let him go. Told him to go, actually.”

Both eyebrows were up now. “You told him to go on a murder spree?”

Eren rolled his eyes at that. “I told him to go away. Needed to get as much space between the two of you as I could.”

It took a few moments, but finally Levi nodded. He agreed at least that he and Rivaille should not be hanging out in the same space.

Levi looked over at Eren again. “Do you know where he is?”

Eren shrugged. “I can find him easily enough. All you have to do is follow the pull.” He gestured at Levi. “You’ll feel the same thing after the change. When I’m here there’ll always be a kind of tug, although it might change when I’m in Hell.”

“What about Rivaille?” Levi asked, frowning. “Can he follow any sort of pull to get to me?”

Eren thought about that. Had been thinking about it for a while.

“I don’t think so.” He said finally. “The two of you aren’t mated officially; you’re both tied to me but not necessarily to each other. I’m doing my best to keep Rivaille unaware of your change.”

“Why?” Levi asked, squinting.

Eren was glad that the raven hadn’t asked ‘how’. He didn’t think Levi would approve of concealing enchantments used to hide one of his mates from another.

“He won’t like it.” Eren said simply.

“You’re awfully concerned with his approval.”

“Levi.” Eren said, careful to hold Levi’s eye contact. “I was able to survive since the day I met Rivaille because he liked me. And during that time I was pulled apart, physically, mentally, over and over again until I could manage to slip away and come here. That was when Rivaille _liked_ me. Can you imagine what might have happened if he’d decided I wasn’t worth his time?”

Rivaille was only just starting to…well not recover so much. Not even be normal. But he was able to feel affectionate, able to even want to have another creature stay with him. And Eren was proud and terrified of that growth in him.

“So you’re letting him have some free time up here.” Levi muttered. “Then what? Send him back to Hell?”

Well that was the plan. The original plan, at least. But those had an awful habit of, you know… _not_ going to plan.

“If he’ll even go back.” Eren huffed, shrugging. “Once he’s there, only a connection from the living world can open the Way Through for him. There’s no other way to travel between worlds with his kind of power.”

Levi frowned. “What about your kind of power?”

“I’m very careful about what I bring through, and what I leave behind.”

Grey eyes squinted at him. “What the fuck does that even mean?”

“It’s not important.” Eren shook his head. “What is important is how the heck I’m going to convince Rivaille to return.” The brunet rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. “At this point I might have to trick him back to Hell. I have no idea if he will go back willingly, even for me.”

Even Levi looked surprised, despite his attempts to be sarcastic about the whole issue.

“I thought he’d do anything for you?” The raven asked.

Another shrug. “Just about. He won’t appreciate being trapped back there while I can come and go as I please.” Eren wanted to chuckle at that, but couldn’t quite bring himself to. “I have an idea…it might work.”

“What’s the plan?” Levi asked somewhat warily.

“I gave him a task. A little chore to do for me.” Eren managed a little smile, not sure of the emotion behind it. “Rivaille would never admit it, but he loves being useful, especially if it means he gets to show off.”

“What was the task?” Levi’s suspicion was growing.

There was a pause while Eren contemplated how Levi would process the truth of the situation.

“I sent him off to find Erwin.” He said, waiting.

Levi squinted at him so hard that Eren doubted the raven could even see him.

“To kill him?”

“Not exactly…”

Another groan. “Eren. What did you do?”

“I just thought Erwin would appreciate a little visit from his ex.” Eren admitted.

Levi held his hands up, huffing. “I don’t even want to know.” He said. “Plan your shitty plans, just leave me out of it.”

“If you insist.”

Back to waiting then. Without the distraction of conversation.

It wouldn’t be a long wait. Eren could bear with it.

Levi had said wait, and you didn’t wait for something you wouldn’t actually get. Which meant Eren had the go ahead, though he would ask formally beforehand. It was important that Levi said yes directly, consenting to be Eren’s mate just as Eren had consented to Rivaille.

And that brought another thought into play. The fight or flight instinct. Eren had no idea if Levi would feel the same panic upon consenting, the urge to fight his way to freedom or escape. Eren had no concerns that he wouldn’t be able to contain the raven, but it would be a frightening experience if those instincts kicked in. Levi would need to know about them in advance. Hanji too, in case she tried to go at him with the broom again.

Eren loathed to waste any more time, but he would spend a few moments explaining what to expect before any biting occurred.

In the meantime, Eren busied himself with checking on Levi.

The raven was still changing, albeit slowly. That would explain the frequent expressions of discomfort on Levi’s face, little winces and frowns. Eren’s nose wrinkled at the smell of him, something not quite demon but nowhere near human. The bitter tang of venom in him, something that would always make Levi’s scent different from that of other demons. Eren had no idea how his venom would change the bonding process, or what the resulting demon would be.

He was eager to find out.

Despite never having performed this kind of procedure before, or even heard of it being attempted, Eren felt confident. His kind were especially good at sensing when a situation might go belly up. It was how they made the cleverest deals, the best choices for themselves. And while Eren didn’t know for sure what would happen, he could feel that it would be okay.

If he could complete Levi’s transformation.

Eren reached for Levi’s hands, examining long fingers and checking again for blood. Any active bleeding would be a problem, and Eren would need to act with or without Hanji’s permission. Maybe even with or without Levi’s.

Thankfully, though, there was no scent of fresh blood on him. No rapid changes had taken place since those first few bursts of transformation, which just left the final change. That wouldn’t be pleasant, most likely. Levi didn’t have any horns yet, and Eren hadn’t even checked for wings. Not every demon had them, for not every demon got more than a basic, low-level form. The more power one had, the more capable a form they needed to contain that strength.

Rivaille had at least three forms, Eren knew. The last hadn’t ever really been seen thanks to the raven’s smoke shroud, a part of that particular form and Rivaille’s strongest one. Then there was the war form that Rivaille used around his castle and most of the time. His lowest form, more skin than scale, didn’t come out often. It had come out only a few times, Eren’s most recent memories of it were hazy with the blur of lust and hurt that had accompanied their mating. That was a more intimate show of trust. Meeting as equals.

Eren also had three forms. One, usually the middle ground between war form and the low form, had been sacrificed to make way for Eren’s current third and highest form.

That was one Eren was certain that Rivaille had never seen him use. The very same gargantuan swell of power that he had used to take over Kirschtein’s lands.

Considering Levi’s situation, there was no way of knowing what kind of demon would be born from him. What form he might have, or if he would have more than one.

Eren had to wrestle with the raven to get a hold of his tail again, pleased with the mollifying effect it had. Even without knowing why, Levi stilled once Eren got a good grip on his tail. Firm but not painful, for Eren would never dream of hurting the raven with such a sensitive part of him. And a new part, too. Levi was more vulnerable than he knew, clueless about his own body. Eren remembered the pain that damaging such a place could cause, and if he had his way then Levi would never, ever feel anything like it.

He thumbed around the base, testing for bruising. Levi didn’t squirm of yelp, though. He was well healed.

Eren sighed. He knew there was every chance that Levi and Rivaille could meet. He also knew that he could never allow that to happen, for both of their safety. Rivaille was a possessive creature. Eren did not think he would tolerate another addition to Eren’s affections if it became a serious attachment in his eyes. If Eren and Levi became mates, and they would, Rivaille could never know about it. Could never know about Levi’s demonhood, or he would…Eren didn’t know what he would do, actually. And that was precisely why he had to keep them separate.

It would be no small feat. Rivaille wasn’t an idiot and he would be able to feel any change in their bond. Eren’s best hope was a shit tonne of concealing magic, and even that wasn’t a permanent solution. He could only hope that it would be enough to keep Levi safe for long enough that Rivaille would return to Hell.

Once the raven was back there, he would have no way of returning without Eren’s aid. After that point, Levi would be safe.

Well…safer.

It was the only plan Eren had.

Levi let go of an odd sound and Eren realised he still had a hold of the raven’s tail. He let go, rubbing at Levi’s lower back in apology. Levi flicked his tail, probably unaware that he was doing so, and Eren was relieved to see that there was no flush of blood there. He hadn’t held on too tightly, even lost in thought as he had been.

Eren wormed his hands into Levi’s clothes to search for bruising, snickering at Levi’s hisses and accusations. His eyes caught a flash of darkness, pinning Levi carefully down so that he could take a closer look, but it wasn’t a bruise. Much to Eren’s relief, the mark was only an area of Levi’s tattoos and Eren was pleased to find that the inky patterns had survived his transformation thus far. There was no way to know if they would still be there once Levi had completely turned, but Eren hoped that the tattoos would remain. They were a familiar part of Levi. Something that Eren liked about him.

Vague stories of his past laid out on pale skin, the details of which were known by Levi and Levi alone. Even if he did live forever, Levi would have a constant reminder of who he had once been, of his human life. It was a gift that few demons ever had.

“Eren?”

“Hmm?” Eren hummed, brought out of his thoughts by Levi’s voice.

Levi who was still beneath him, worrying himself. Frowning off to one side, clearly caught up in his own thoughts.

“Are we…really doing this once Hanji gets back?” He asked.

Not afraid, but adjusting. Levi didn’t smell of any kind of fear, just worry. Worrying about what his life might be like after this, how he might be affected, how others might be affected.

Eren started up a comforting thrum in his throat, only maintaining the sound for a short moment since he needed to talk.

“If you’ll accept me, then yes.” Eren said. “The sooner you’re turned, the better, but if you can’t go through with it…tell me.”

There was nothing much to be done if Levi decided that he didn’t want this. Eren could leave him alone, could never set eyes on him again, but Levi was already a demon. Even unstable as he was, he was no longer human. He would live as long as Eren did.

A purely selfish trait. Demons didn’t like their minions living longer than them. Perhaps it was cruel, but Eren found it almost poetic. No matter how things ended, neither of them would have to live without the other. There would be no years wallowing in agony of the heart. No tears. No haunting memories.

Just peace.

“Can’t go through with it?” Levi prompted.

“The worst might not be behind you.” Eren admitted, for there was no point in lying to Levi about this.

The experience would not be pleasant. In fact Eren had next to no idea what would happen when their final ritual began.

“There are still unknown elements.” The brunet continued. “At the moment, you’re mostly weak. Any strength you have comes in bursts.”

Levi frowned, but he nodded. Knew as much.

“Yeah?” He said, tone questioning to prompt more from the brunet.

“If we don’t finish your change, it’s most likely that you’ll lose those bursts of power over time and stabilize, but you’ll still be weak.” Eren gave a sigh. “I have no idea how strong you’ll be after the change, what kind of level you’ll reach. Even the process itself is sketchy. I don’t know if you will go through any sort of flight instinct, and if you do I will need to restrain you. It will be for your own good.”

“What?”

“Flight instinct?” Eren asked, waiting for Levi’s nod to make sure he would be explaining the right thing. “It happens when demons choose to mate; one, usually the less powerful, will experience an intense fear or panic moments after consenting. Essentially you might feel a strong urge to resist being bonded to me.”

Eren said it like it couldn’t be helped, and it really couldn’t. Even Eren himself hadn’t been able to resist the panic that had taken over him that first time, and he sincerely hoped that Levi would not feel the same fear.

Levi smiled at him, a little strained from the information overload. “I can’t imagine that I’ll feel anything like that.”

“It doesn’t matter what you feel _now_.” Eren shook his head, but he felt touched by Levi’s words. “This is a wholly demonic logic, a panicked fear of being eaten and destroyed.”

Levi stared at him for a long moment, not quite squinting. “ _Are_ you going to eat me?”

“No.” Eren said, firm and sure. “But I will have to bite you.” He held up a hand at Levi’s frown, a silent plea to explain himself. “It’s a part of how we’ll bond each other; a visual sign that will mark you as mine. To a human, you might have to explain yourself. But to a demon, it’s a clear sign that you are spoken for. No one questions a mating mark once it’s placed. You will bite me too; that part goes both ways.”

“Great. Sounds like a hoot.” Levi looked just as thrilled as he sounded. Not very.

Eren offered him an understanding look. “I promise it won’t be as bad as you think.” Eren knew Levi’s preference for cleanliness, and the lack of that in the rituals to come. “Mating marks are incredibly intimate once they heal, and can be a source of great pleasure.”

That was something that Eren sorely wanted Levi to know. To understand the significance of those marks, more than just evidence of a bite, more than just a scar.

Eren remember the surge of pleasure that Rivaille could give him, all with a little attention to one of his mating marks. It was completely unfair, but delicious when used in the right moment.

“I’m assuming that they’re called ‘mating’ marks for a reason?” Levi piped up.

Eren couldn’t tell if the raven sounded disapproving or not.

“Yes.” He said.

Levi nodded, unsurprised. “And that reason is that there’s going to be some mating involved?”

He caught on quick, Levi did. Eren was proud and pleased that the raven had listened. He’d paid good attention to even small details.

“Traditionally, yes.” Eren nodded.

He wasn’t about to lie. Levi would know in an instant if he did. They were too close to each other for anything but truth, grey eyes too observant at this distance. And Eren could not leave out a single detail at this point, or he could risk losing this one chance to keep Levi. Keep him safe. Keep him by his side.

Levi needed to know every last detail of what he was getting himself into in becoming a full demon, and Eren would not compromise their trust. Like this, it would be unforgivable.

“Before or after the biting?” Levi was asking him.

Eren shook his head to clear it. “After.” He managed to get out, catching Levi’s nose wrinkle. “I know, it seems gross, but you’ll feel differently in the heat of the moment.”

Levi did not look convinced, but he shrugged anyway. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“Is that alright?” Eren asked.

Levi looked at him, something like surprise making his eyes go a little wide as he looked at Eren. The brunet could feel the concern on his own face, the worry that Levi would not be happy, or satisfied, or even ready to go through with this ritual.

“What?” Levi asked, and he looked a strange kind of amused. “Becoming a demon? The biting? The blood bit?”

Eren huffed an exasperated breath. “You know what I’m asking you. Is it alright that I mate you in this way?”

“Sex? That’s the part you’re worrying about?” Levi laughed at the vexed expression on Eren’s face. “Yes, Eren, you can fuck me. Does hearing that make you feel better?”

Eren rolled his eyes at the raven. “It does, and you don’t need to be so crass. It’s more than just sex, Levi. It’s a sharing of sense and being.”

Eren lifted a hand to the mark on his neck, feeling tender and angry and longing in the same instance. A whirlwind of chaotic feeling, undeniable. He let his hand drop again.

“Bonding like this is rare.” Eren said. “Most demons don’t ever find their fated one.”

“And here you’ve found two.” Levi said, brow cocked.

He still seemed a little dubious about the entire situation, not that Eren could blame him. Even he couldn’t reason it all out completely. Drawn to the both of them, two beings so different. Something the same in both, too. Eren wondered what it was. Stubbornness, probably. The way they refused to stop taking steps forward, a little farther away from the sour taste of the past. Each a little too far from normality to be sane, and seeing clearer for it. Levi accepted too much for reason to still have a hold on him. Let a demon into his home just because it was crying. Rivaille was similar, if in a roundabout way. Saw past the base urge to kill, to take more for himself, because he allowed himself to feel the pull he felt from some insolent, little brat who refused to let another demon die.

“I’m not surprised,” Eren found himself saying, more to himself than to Levi, “to have found a part in both you and Rivaille that I must have.”

Too caught up, demons were. With power, what they had and what they could gain through trickery, through battle. Fighting, killing, or even just trying to stay alive. If they could even call themselves alive anymore, absent of a heartbeat. Inhuman, devoid of untampered morality. Demons had their own problems.

Demons were their own problems. It was a miracle if they ever stopped to think, to feel, and find that there was more than strength. More than territory. But affection was a difficult thing to learn, or to learn to accept, after an eternity of unimaginable tortures. Nothing was suffered through worse than loneliness.

“Is that why we’re both yours?” Levi asked. “We’re the same, but not?”

“You’re not the same. I wouldn’t insult either of you like that. But once, you were. And a part of me won’t rest until I have both halves of the whole.”

Levi looked at him, considering grey eyes boring into Eren’s. Judging those last words, looking for meaning that he either didn’t believe or couldn’t understand. But some things weren’t meant to be explained. They just were.

“I hope I can meet him one day, then.” Levi said. “My ‘other half’.” He made quotation marks in the air with his fingers, only partially sarcastic. “In the very least, I’m glad I mean so much to anyone.”

“You’re not disappointed at all?”

“That the only person to do so much for me turned out to be from Hell?” Levi gave a dry chuckle. “If I’d told a younger me that, I wouldn’t have even been surprised. I’ve felt worthless too many times in my life to think I’d deserve anything good, so being loved by something bad would make sense. If I’d been told that you’d be so…” Levi lost his words.

“Stubborn? Annoying? Frustratingly persistent?” Eren supplied unhelpfully.

Levi laughed, which had been Eren’s goal, but the sound was helpless.

“You make that sound like a bad thing.” Levi said. “But being stubborn is just a negative way of saying not giving up. Never giving up. You could have bailed, stayed in Hell. Instead you dragged your ass back here and I didn’t get it for the longest time. I knew you’d been around for a years and years. Longer than any human lifespan.”

Levi made a gesture, some vague wave of his hands. He looked lost.

“I knew I wouldn’t have that luxury.” He said with a solemn nod. “But instead of getting bored and leaving, you’re asking me to live, as yours, for as long as you live. Call me crazy, but that is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me. If that makes me insane…well then I guess I’ll fit in right alongside Rivaille.”

Maybe it did make them crazy, Eren thought to himself as he stared in dazed wonder at this extraordinary little creature he’d managed to convince to be his. Maybe it was even his fault that Levi had gotten to this point. Taking a demon as his mate. Listening to all of Eren’s speeches and accepting them without so much as batting an eye. A few questions, that was all Levi needed to come to grips with all the new information.

“Thank you.” Eren said. It was all he could think to get out, and he meant it in so many ways.

Levi almost smiled at him, but he shook his head instead. Cleared his throat.

“Alright, enough sappy shit. So where were we anyway?”

“You’d just sarcastically told me I could fuck you.” Eren supplied.

“I meant it.” Levi shrugged, waving off Eren’s dubious glance. “Sarcasm is my natural defence against the confusing.”

“I’m glad you meant it, then.” Eren said, sighing. “Things can get kind of dicey in the middle of everything. You might not have been able to consent properly had I waited.”

“The fear instinct?” Levi guessed.

“Yes.”

“Will you feel that?”

Eren made a face. “I did with Rivaille.” He admitted. “It was…unpleasant.” Eren nodded between them then. “Being the stronger of us at the moment, I won’t have any flight instincts since I am the one offering my claim over you.”

Levi nodded as he took that in. “So there’s a chance that I’ll freak out on you?”

“Yes. There’s no way of knowing until we get to that point. Even if you do start to panic, I don’t think it will be nearly as troublesome a process. The main problem with that fear is that you resist mating efforts and attempts to have you consume blood. We’ll be starting with that first, though, so who knows what will happen.”

More nodding. Levi seemed to be doing a lot of that lately; it was basically a coping strategy against the constant information overload he was going through.

“What does it mean if I don’t feel that?” Levi asked, casting a questioning glance Eren’s way.

The brunet paused and considered that option. He couldn’t imagine that not feeling overwhelming terror would be a bad thing.

“I’d think it would be a good sign.” Eren shrugged, not entirely sure but sure enough to assume. “Like I’ve said, this hasn’t really been done before. Demons aren’t normally drawn to humans other than to snack on them. When I first saw you, I was stunned by the fact that I felt no immediate urge to kill you.”

Levi paused, then squinted in Eren’s direction in a way that seemed highly suspicious.

“You did try to kill me, didn’t you?” The raven asked, frowning.

Eren waved off his suspicious glower. “Don’t be silly. I invited you to play a game, just a little chase.” He rolled one shoulder in a shrug. “You joined in all by yourself.”

“Because you were a freaky motherfucker dripping blood in an alley.” Levi retorted, eyebrows shooting up. “Wait. So…you low key knew that there was something up between us even back then?”

To be honest, that was the truth. Although the extent of what was being felt between them had remained a mystery until more recently.

Eren told Levi this much.

“I wasn’t sure what it was until recently.” He admitted, looking at Levi. “All I knew back then was that I didn’t want you dead, so I pursued you to learn what it was that you were for.”

Levi snorted at the brunet’s choice of words. “Well I’m glad to know that you didn’t want any Acker-snacks from day one. Good for me.”

The raven huffed out an amused breath and slumped back against the floor, cushioned by blankets. He closed his eyes, and Eren wondered if Levi might drift off before Hanji got back. It had been an exhausting few days for him, and Eren wished that there was more that he could do. Alas, the only remedy to this situation was completing Levi’s transformation into a fully-fledged demon, and that apparently called for the tarps that Hanji was retrieving.

Hoping up carefully, Eren crept over the resting raven and headed for the windows. He peered past the curtains, taking in the grey sky and the mist of light rain. Not a single human out and about; all of the tucked up inside their homes or their places of work to avoid the cold.

No signs of Hanji returning yet, either. She hadn’t been gone all that long, but Eren wasn’t happy about waiting at all.

“She’ll be back soon.” Came a voice from the floor.

Eren winced, turning to look sheepishly at Levi where he was still lying.

“Am I that obvious?” Eren asked.

Levi gave a snort. “You’re an open book at the moment.”

Eren sighed, caught in his worry. He returned to the raven, stretching out beside Levi with a tired sound.

“I’ll be glad when all this is over. Extending the change won’t lead to anything good, and I don’t want you to get any more unstable.”

Levi hummed his acknowledgement. “I don’t want to _feel_ any more unstable.” He muttered, rolling onto his side to face Eren. “What do we need to do?”

“Specifically?” Eren asked, seeing Levi nod. “Well you’re partway turned, so I should have some thrall over you.” The brunet started, noticing a little frown crease the space between Levi’s brows. He tried to be more specific. “You’re still in a state where I should be able to instruct you though most of the process, and if we’re lucky then instinct will take over.”

“Okay…” Levi said slowly, nodding, “so..?”

“First, you’ll bite me.” Eren said, tapping a spot on his neck that held no mating mark. “Land a mark or two, then drink. Take in what you can, so that when I return the favour you’ll handle the shock easier.” The brunet nodded in Levi’s direction. “If I bit you first you might freak out and try to punch me or something.”

Levi did a remarkable job holding back his laughter at whatever imagery Eren’s words had summoned into his head. He cleared his throat, shooting Eren an apologetic glance.

“So bloodshare in the literal sense?” The raven asked.

Eren nodded. “Yes. It puts mates in a state of shared weakness, and we’ll come out stronger for it.”

“It sounds disgusting.”

There wasn’t much that Eren could do to argue against that.

He shrugged. “Swapping blood establishes a bond, a connection. It’s very intimate. We’ll be able to detect each other’s presence, moods, even sensations. Sharing takes on a whole new meaning.”

“And what if I die from blood loss?” Levi asked dryly.

Eren glared at him, unappreciative of this particular attempt at humour, and rolled his eyes. “You won’t.” He assured the raven. “You’re essentially a demon, a little blood loss won’t kill you. You’ll have enough of my blood to get by, but the process will be slow going. I don’t want to take any huge risks.”

Levi gave a nod. “And after the whole biting, blood cocktail bit?”

If everything went well…

“Hopefully, we’ll mate and seal the final bond.” Eren said with a gusting sigh. “And then we’ll take a nap.”

Levi did a double take. “Seriously?”

Eren couldn’t help but laugh at the surprise on the raven’s face. “Seriously. The last part of your change should take place as our mating bond settles in. It’s a more gradual thing, and hopefully painless. Recovery should take a few days, and you won’t want to go far. I still don’t know if we’ll experience any separation agony, but it’s better to avoid the possibility.”

“I see.” Levi said. “Well…it all seems straightforward enough.”

Eren’s head shot up then, nostrils flaring, eyes wide. He heard something.

Footsteps; Hanji was back.

Keys sounded in the door and Eren wondered briefly why Hanji would bother locking up with two demons in the house. Force of habit, clearly, as she was shaking her head coming down the hallway like the same thought had just occurred to her.

“Alright, boys!” Hanji called, emerging from the hallway. “Tarps.” She tossed the packaged items at Eren, who caught them. “And I’m guessing that you’re not going to want an audience, so I’m off.”

Eren froze as the implications of Hanji’s words washed over him. Hanji was going elsewhere, meaning that she was willingly leaving Eren and Levi alone, together, even after what had happened the last time.

Hanji didn’t bother trying to stare Eren down to make sure he understood the gravity of the situation. The fact that she was trusting him with this.

Or more likely she was trusting Levi with what he wanted.

The brunette gathered only a few things before heading for the door.

“I’ll take good care of him, Hanji.” Eren called after her.

He wanted to make sure that she knew that much before she left. That Levi would be safe with him.

Hanji turned only to glance at him over her shoulder. “You’d better,” she said, “or I’ll go for the shotgun next time instead of the broom.”

Eren only nodded. “Understood.”

He waited for the door to be closed behind Hanji before he moved, and Levi watched the whirlwind of movement that was Eren. A shock of motion and Levi was scooped up, deposited on the sofa, and left there wide-eyed. Eren threw down the tarps over a pile of hastily organised bedding. Cushions were stuffed within blankets, all of it covered in the plastic-resembling sheets that Hanji had brought them. Safe enough from what would follow.

Levi had that look in his eyes when Eren turned for him. The raven knew the time had come when Eren’s eyes lit up, aglow with what might have looked like rage. Levi knew better by now, and he wasn’t fooled. The light in his eyes showed as much.

Eren couldn’t help but shudder, feeling like a blaze was being stirred to life beneath his skin. His mouth was open, panting, and Eren wondered if Levi could make out the sharpened teeth lining that mouth. The way his eyes widened infinitesimally made it clear that he could. There was no fear in his gaze, or his posture. Not yet. Instead of terror, want swam in those grey orbs.

“ _Levi_.” Eren called to him.

Levi surged off of the sofa like a man possessed, and he practically was. Taken over with the need to go to Eren, for he had called him even without as many words. Good, the thrall was working. In the moments it needed to, Eren could command this new, struggling little demon.

He didn’t need it to work for long, just long enough to get Levi through this ritual and free him.

Levi scrambled for Eren like he didn’t know how he was moving, half tripping over in his need to get to the brunet that instant.

Eren caught him when he stumbled, almost crashing right into the brunet if not for his lightning fast response. Hands gripping tight to the raven, too tight for safety but Eren knew there would be no bruises. Levi was already stronger than he had ever been. He could already take more than his human self would have been able to, and Levi had yet to reach full demonhood.

Levi clutched to him like he was blind, lifting his head to stare up with wide grey eyes that looked lost.

So Eren gave him a path.

“Bite me.” Eren said, _ordered_ , as he hauled Levi onto his feet.

A flicker of awareness passed, bright, through Levi’s eyes. He’d barely gotten balanced before he was moving.

It was like something in the raven crackled to life at that command, and he was acting without thought. Lunging, jaws open. Eren watched the rapid sharpening of white teeth that were headed for him, wondering if Levi felt any pain.

The force of Levi’s jump upset Eren’s balance and sent them backwards to tumble onto the tarped mound.

Levi bit down before they’d even hit the ground.

Eren felt his eyes widen, body tensing, and for a horrifying moment he feared that his body might reject the idea of him having two mates. But he’d felt it, known it could happen because of that feeling.

Then the second crunch of breaking skin reached Eren’s ears and he recognised the tingling bliss that followed. A new mating mark being placed into his skin, wet heat oozing from the wounds and into Levi’s mouth. The raven bit him again, once more, for a total of four marks. The first where his neck and shoulder met, two more up his neck, and the last sealed over his jawline.

Eren hissed at the rightness of it.

No denying it now; Levi was meant to be his mate. Had been stuck here waiting for him his whole life, without ever even knowing the possibilities that awaited him.

Eren was just considering giving Levi the order to drink, but the raven had already settled on his first bite. Licking at the mark to catch the deep red that oozed from the wound. Favouring it. Eren could sense confusion in Levi, probably wondering at the taste of Eren’s blood.

A flashing of memory had Eren recall what it was like to taste Rivaille. Blood was supposed to be coppery, unpleasant, but Eren couldn’t begin to describe what it was that Rivaille tasted of. Something that he instantly craved more of, and the way Levi eagerly drank was very telling. He was feeling the exact same thing.

Eren didn’t so much as wince, growling out an encouraging thrum in his throat. The sound rattled every time Levi bit down harder, wanting more.

And not an ounce of fear in him. Not yet.

It was a good sign. Eren could feel that it was a good sign, and he coaxed Levi further. Was pleased when Levi didn’t tense as he was held. Clung tighter to the brunet, grounding himself against Eren’s front.

Eren had landed on his back, caught by the squishy pile of bedding kept safely beneath the tarps. He had to ignore the odd smell of them, and the way the texture felt against his skin, odd and unfamiliar. It was worth it to hold Levi. To put his claws to work in ridding Levi of his borrowed clothes and coil even closer to the raven.

He risked biting into the pale skin on offer, determined to get at least one mark on Levi during their bonding.

Above him, Levi stiffened. He choked out a sound, a long, wordless noise around the blood in his mouth. Lost in the best way. No struggling. No shouting, punches, or attempts to rip throats out. Levi was attacking his throat, but in a way that Eren approved of.

Eren had expected something rough and unpleasant. Had feared he might have to treat Levi the way he had been treated, which had been perfectly fine by demon standards. But Levi had been human only days ago. He didn’t deserve to be hurt, even if it was to save him from his own mortality. And yet there they were, entangled not in a struggle but passion. And Eren had to wonder…if demons only had flight instinct because they grew up surrounded by other demons. Creatures that would sooner try to kill you than speak to you. Whereas Levi had grown up around humans, who didn’t all try to kill one another every chance they got. Some did, sure. But the majority of humans were remarkably docile folk.

Levi’s experience of demons was limited, almost solely surrounding his interactions with Eren. Maybe not the best introduction. But they had more than made up for that along the way, Eren hoped.

Considering that…was Levi so attached that he didn’t have a flight instinct? Even now? Mid-change?

Eren allowed himself to hope.

Slowly, things got lazy. Hazy. Eren felt sluggish, noticed that Levi’s movements were also of the lazy variety. The both of them attached, teeth locked in throats.

Eren wouldn’t be able to remember exactly when they transitioned from bloodshare to mating. They had been so close the whole time, wrapped up in each other, exchanging low rumbles and the occasional, red-smeared kiss.

Suddenly though, Eren noticed that Levi’s mouth was sealed to his. No longer latched onto one of his bite marks, but trying his lazy best to suck Eren’s tongue right out of his mouth. Levi was putting his lack of needing to breathe to good use. He seemed to be enjoying the fact that he could literally kiss Eren forever if he wanted to. Just hold on and never let go. And that was so…different. Different from the way it felt to lie with Rivaille. Eren felt longing for them both, and he was beginning to realise they there was no comparing them. Both similar, and so, so different. Eren could remember how his first mating with Rivaille had gone, but he couldn’t even remember how he and Levi had begun right then and there.

Pleasure informed Eren that he was, in fact, in the middle of fucking Levi with no memory or knowledge of how they’d gotten that far. But he had his tongue down Levi’s throat, swallowing pitching whines, and he cared about living that rather than wondering how he’d gotten to that point. His hips were moving on their own, and thank fuck for that because Eren certainly wasn’t focused enough to control his body. Thankfully it seemed to know exactly what it wanted.

Levi seemed to be in a similar state of surrender. Limbs sluggish but still holding on, eyes slipping closed, forgetting that he didn’t have to breathe anymore and panting out high, whining exhales that had Eren melting. Still beneath him, but buried to the hilt and grinding away. Pleasure throbbed through him when Levi sucked at the bite that he’d left on Eren’s jaw and the brunet’s vision whited out.

Eren shook, feeling the trembles through all his limbs. And that was it. He’d finished. Levi didn’t even complain, shooting a mess of white onto Eren’s stomach moments later. He managed to open his eyes, looking down at Eren, face flushed and grey eyes watery.

There was a full minute where all Eren could register was the feeling of Levi purring against him, so low he mightn’t have even been able to hear it had he lacked the heightened senses of a demon.

They passed out in a filthy but happy mess of limbs.

 

Waking came frequently, and with it came more bouts of passion. Sometimes they just held each other close and appreciated just how long they could keep up the one kiss without breaking apart.

Levi was really, really loving the lack of need for oxygen.

Eren wasn’t sure how long they lay there. Probably not that long at all, but he was used to Hell time. Even in his post-bonded daze, still recovering, Levi dragged himself up to clean. Made Eren clean to, through all the whining and the protesting yowls, begging Levi to return to his arms until he was kicked into action.

It was very easy to remember the tidying up of the bloodied tarps, nowhere near as bad as either of them had feared. Then Eren was shoved towards the shower, and that wasn’t as bad. At least he got to hold Levi and tend to him. Clean him up, check to see how his bites were healing.

They were still tender, and Levi’s legs shook terribly whenever Eren touched them. It made Eren smile, but it Levi glower at him. Strange, how that glare could seem so cute when Levi was struggling under the assault of a pleasure he’d not known before. Eren teased him with it all throughout their shower, somewhat undermining Levi’s attempts to thoroughly clean them both. It was done at last, and they returned to gather up the clean blankets and some cushions, building a new and temporary nest on the sofa.

From there, all Eren could remember was sleep. He drifted in and out, thinking that he might almost recall nosing Levi’s throat, a few sleepy kisses perhaps. But mostly dreamless sleep as he recovered from the second bloodshare ritual of his existence. And here he’d thought one had been enough.

It had been quite soon in between. Eren wondered if Levi had any of Rivaille’s blood in him…oh wow how hadn’t he thought of that before.

Well now that everything was three times more fucked up, Eren was glad to fall back into unconsciousness.

 

Levi was asleep when Eren woke, and he felt like he was done resting. Done recovering.

He stretched, feeling stiff but well. A purr started up without his consent, but there was nothing to be done about that. At least it hadn’t woken Levi.

Oh…oh _Levi_.

He looked…different. Still pale, but his skin was dusted with darkness, like someone had sprinkled him with charcoal dust and worked it into his flesh.

And the tattoos…Eren couldn’t look away from them, now more than ever. He had never so much as wondered how the ink etchings might affect Levi’s demon form.

Dark lines ran over Levi’s skin, familiar patterns decorating otherwise pale skin tone. Every marking followed by smoky flesh, new and twisting curls of smoky skin. Like Rivaille’s shroud, only this smoke seemed to be living _in_ Levi’s skin, swirling endlessly just under the surface. A graceful dance, almost unnoticeable while the raven was calm.

It danced sluggishly now, telling Eren that Levi was still deep asleep. Still recovering, although he would be done soon.

Trailing his gaze upwards, Eren found another new feature. Pointed, they jutted out from his head. Levi’s horns were simple. Just slightly curved, dark but a lighter shade than his hair. Small, no higher than ten centimetres but probably closer to eight.

They were quite cute, really.

No wings, Eren noticed. That would make switching between forms easier, at least.

He watched it happen then as Levi woke. His eyes opened and the raven gave a violent shiver, and just like that he was his old self again, all his demon form tucked away and leaving behind Levi. He looked surprised.

A second later Levi sneezed, and Eren couldn’t tell if it was adorable or not. The wide-eyed look Levi gave him was definitely cute and Eren burst out laughing.

“I feel like shit.” Levi admitted, voice raspy.

Eren couldn’t stop giggling at him, but that was probably a good thing because if he’d been thinking seriously there would’ve been no way not to get turned on by that rough tone of voice. Levi didn’t even mean for it to happen, but it suited him.

“Well you look amazing.” Eren hummed. “You should have seen yourself a moment ago.”

“Huh?” Levi said on the tail end of a yawn.

“It gave me chills.” Eren murmured to him, running a hand through inky hair and wishing Levi’s horns were still there.

“Yeah?”

Eren nodded, all sleepy, eager smiles. “Just wait until you shift back.”

Levi hummed, frowning a little as he yawned again. “And when will that happen?”

“Eh. It’ll be a bit back and forth until you figure out how to control the shifts yourself.”

“Great.” Levi muttered, but he nestled closer regardless.

It would be tricky, of that Eren had no doubt. But he would be there to help Levi along the way, until he got the hang of things.

For the moment, though, they could indulge in just a little more sleep.


	59. The Other Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rivaille POV.

“You know that I’ll be waiting on the other side.” – Bruno Mars, The Other Side.

 

 

The Way Through was like wading through a pool of liquid silver, thicker than water and yet somehow easier to pass through. It wasn’t like anything corporeal. A trick of the mind, some illusion of perception. The portal was very real, however, transporting the physical form, the soul, and whatever surplus of power they had from one realm to the other.

It was, in a way, a bit like dying. Unpleasant, but peaceful.

And at the end…light.

 

 

After the blinding shock of white light, Rivaille stepped out into a void of blackness.

Rivaille’s first sight of the human world was dark, lit up only by intermittent bursts of light from somewhere…outside? He stepped out of the Way Through and heard the crunch of glass beneath his feet, felt the shards shatter further under the talons that curved from his toes in this form. Light flickered, bright but brief. Rivaille did not need the light to see, but it pulled the room into better detail. There were walls, he registered, and beyond those the deafening howling of wind, the pounding of rain against the roof, and the furious crashing of thunder.

The floor was a mess of ruined wood and fractured glass.

Towers of boxes and wooden containers were strewn around, crammed into the space. Walkways ran between them, some of the piles upset. Boxes lay strewn. There was broken wood on the ground. Perhaps there had been some sort of scuffle?

More thunder. It seemed like the skies were set upon drowning the world below.

It took a second, but only a second, for Rivaille to realise that he was the reason for the violent storm that raged outside.

This world was never meant to harbour him, but it was a little late for that.

Rivaille had left none of his strength on the other side. The desperation he’d felt in Eren through their bond called for all the power he had, and the silver-eyed demon had been trying to beat down the barriers between the Living World and Hell himself before Eren called to him properly. A pull yanked at the raven from within. There in his mind was the barest whisper – a plea for help.

And then the Way Through had opened before him, as easily as any doorway. The one barrier that had kept the raven trapped for millennia gave way without so much as a moment’s pause.

For perhaps the first time in his existence, Rivaille’s first thought of crossing to the other side did not involve mischief. He darted through the silver glass of the gateway, leaving behind the startled, red-skinned giant of a guardian. Poor Lucifer hadn’t had a clue what to do with the demon that came hurtling through the skies of Hell to launch an attack on the Gate itself. Compared to the titan spawn, Rivaille was tiny. But for a demon with no titan heritage, he was formidable. Watching such a being be granted access through the Gate must have been shocking.

But Lucifer had made no move to stop him.

Stepping out into the Living World was a shock to the silver-eyed demon. The heat of Hell was gone, left behind. Here the air was shockingly cold against Rivaille’s skin, achingly pleasant after thousands of years spent trapped in parched landscapes. Here there was water. It came in through a damaged window and pelted against his skin, the droplets icy as they met his skin, his face, his wings.

The air here was sweet…or maybe that was just the scent of Eren. Rivaille’s lip curled back in a snarl at the distress he caught in his mate’s scent, and the next roll of thunder did not come from the sky, but from Rivaille.

He detected the undeniable tang of silver, the smell of it sharp in his nose. Blood, also.

Eren was hurt.

A hiss left Rivaille and the building quaked around him, thunder crashing overhead with his rage.

He had known that it would be foolish to let Eren leave the castle, leave Hell, so soon after their bonding. The brunet just wouldn’t listen to him, though. Just had to go after his human.

There was that pull again and Rivaille lurched towards it in an instant, movements sharp and eyes slitted to look for danger.

Rivaille found the demon boy first, all other signs and scents ignored. He registered the look in Eren’s eyes, the fear in them that probably had everything to do with Rivaille’s sudden presence. The raven would feel guilty about it later. He had promised to provide aid should Eren need it, not to come through to this world.

But seeing Eren’s condition, Rivaille was glad that he had come. There was a slowly healing puncture through Eren’s hand, another wound on his head…through the bone, it looked like. A silvered wound, Rivaille had no doubt. Eren did not struggle when he was taken into Rivaille’s hold, carried quickly to a corner of the building they were in. It took less than a second to get there. Eren’s eyes remained wide, a mix of relieved and frightened. It wouldn’t be much use trying to talk to him in this state, Rivaille decided. He bite into his palm and smeared the wounds with the almost black liquid of his blood to help the poor boy recover, watching the damaged areas steam more vigorously.

A strangled chirp left Eren’s throat and he shoved at the raven. It was barely enough to make Rivaille move.

He backed off of his own accord, raising an eyebrow at the younger demon demanding space.

Eren had a wild look in his eyes, no real words left him. His eyes were wide, but there was a fierceness trying to override the panic in teal orbs.

_Go_ , those eyes said, _go on, get out of here!_

Rivaille got the message even over the shrieking wind outside and the racket of rain beating against the roof. For the humans nearby, it must have felt like the end of days had arrived.

Silver eyes narrowed, burning into Eren.

The brunet wanted him to leave, no doubt so that he could whisk his human pet away. Rivaille bared his teeth, frustrated. But Eren’s safety would come hand in hand with his human’s safety; if Eren left to take his pet someplace safe it would also guarantee Eren’s own survival.

Rivaille sent Eren scuttling off into the darkness, watching the brunet dart amongst towers of containers and crates, easily able to track the movement with his enhanced vision. The building’s interior was lit up like a nebula, full of the glowing residue of actions and afterthoughts, the spaces here filled with the leftover energies of human presence. Workers who had built this place, leaving their traces of sweat and labour and laughter. It rang in the air, an afterthought of memory. But overlying it all there were the footsteps of the righteous fool – the one human stupid enough to try and hunt a demon. Rivaille read the skittering, haphazard tracks and deemed them to belong to a madman. Soul tracks were like light, something that could only be seen by those without life in them and even then most of it was hard to understand. Footprints and trails through the air. Smears of light where something alive had come into contact with an object or a space or another person. The trails that Rivaille zeroed in on were a sickly yellow – a clear sign of a soul that had wandered past the line between right and wrong. Mixed in with those trails was that tang of silver and Rivaille snarled.

This was the one who had harmed his Eren.

Across the building, Rivaille could still feel his mate’s presence.

“ _Get him out of here_.” He said to the room, shocked at the thunder his true voice called in this world.

The words had an even greater effect on the world, shaking the ground beneath him. Rivaille wondered at his own strength here, already thinking of shifting down a form or two just to give the quaking earth a breather. But perhaps later. It was too late to save this structure. The floor had ruptured beneath his feet, great cracks snaking through the stone. A pile of crates came tumbling down with no sound; the very nose of the crash was swallowed by the screams of the hurricane.

Rivaille felt the shifting tug, that constant awareness of Eren’s presence. The brunet was leaving at last, finally having located his pesky human no doubt.

“ _Catch you later, little mate_.” Rivaille murmured into the gloom, but even that quiet tone was deafening on this plane.

Amidst the noise, Rivaille became aware of screaming. A clearly human voice, wrought with distress.

That voice faded into the storm as Eren darted away, finally rushing free of the building and out into the storm. He would be safe enough out there, fuelled on by even that small dose of Rivaille’s blood healing his flesh.

Left alone, Rivaille padded through the crumbling building. He followed the pale, yellowed light trail through the structure, watched it interact with things, watched the awful lapse in time in which that soul had done wicked things to another human. Eren’s human, Rivaille realised. It was startling how humans could behave as violently and unpredictably as demons at times. Rivaille rifled through the residual energies of memory there, listening to snippets of conversation, and snorted at the overall scheme.

Who in their right mind would want to launch a war on Hell?

Rivaille was intrigued.

He took another wander about, pausing to inhale the sweet smell of drying blood. There was more than one sample, but one was clearly sweeter than the other. Rivaille stopped by a smear of the stuff, reaching out to swipe a single, clawed finger through the red left on the ground from where some form of bizarre, ritual torture had happened.

This, then, was the blood of his human counterpart…Rivaille’s otherworldly reflection incarnate. The red nectar was divine on the tongue when Rivaille curled his dark tongue over his fingers for a taste, and the silver-eyed demon almost vowed that there was a Heaven as that sweetness sang in his throat.

Eren would be angry with him for even this barest taste, but there was nothing the brunet could do about it now.

Casting his silver gaze around the building, Rivaille watched as a whole wall was ripped away steadily by the tearing winds. The movement brought his attention to that trail of yellow light again.

The owner of that trail had made his escape.

How irksome. Rivaille felt the urge to hunt this human down, to make him pay dearly and painfully for harming his mate.

But never once had Eren told him to go after the man. The brunet’s only concern had been getting his human out of harm’s way…and Rivaille was beginning to realise that he may have been an end of days distraction.

Well…how clever of the little twerp if he had really put that much thought into it.

If he had no other purpose here, Rivaille decided that it was just about time to begin his impromptu vacation in the Living World.

And he damned well wanted a snack.

 

 

Timelag was not something that the raven had expected, and he spent most of his first day disoriented but happy chasing the lowlifes through unsavoury parts of town.

It didn’t matter that he was left lazy and uncoordinated from the shift from one world to the next. Catching humans took barely any effort. It was more speed than anything else. A little aim, lest he barrel on too far and miss his targets. But that was part of the fun, leaving his victims terrified and fleeing from a blur of deadly motion and polytonal laughter.

Rivaille was delighted with the steady passage of time here. Calm, serene almost. Every day was the same, a pleasant and reliable twenty-four hours. It was so unlike Hell, where time was a more fickle creature and barely remained on any predictable pattern. The silver-eyed demon wondered how quickly or slowly days would be passing in the other realm where his demonic kin were going about their business. Would it be on a faster time rotation? Had weeks passed while Rivaille had whiled away the night, out of his mind on the delightful high of human flesh, blood, and bone that he had gorged himself on?

Earth was fantastic.

There were snacks around every corner, although Rivaille tried for at least a little decorum. He knew that Eren would not take kindly to him revealing their kind to this world full of thus far ignorant humans, and so he strove to keep all his games and feedings towards the less populated areas.

Rivaille had always been the kind to enjoy a little chaos, though. He might have left a crime scene or two that would thoroughly horrify anyone unfortunate enough to stumble across them. The evidence of his killings was obvious, and yet there was never much left behind. Only blood on the pavement, a smear of it on the walls, and an untraceable set of fingerprints that would no doubt baffle the authorities. Every last morsel of Rivaille’s victims was appreciated. He left nothing that hadn’t been devoured, unless it was to provide the scrambling Police and investigative forces with some unhelpful clues. A mangled arm. A pile of dehydrated flesh, not a drop of blood left.

And of course, that one alleyway where there had been nothing _but_ blood.

Rivaille did so enjoy redecorating.

The city grew anxious, the distress of its inhabitants a palpable thing in the air. To Rivaille, it was as perfume – a sharp aroma that thrilled his senses with every inhale.

This was entertainment. It was more fun than he’d had in centuries, with only a few, lingering experiences of a stubborn, teal-eyed demon brat to compare it to. Eren thrilled him in a similar way, his pain had always gotten to Rivaille in a way that the torture of others just hadn’t managed to do. But Eren’s pleasure…it was a new joy for the raven to thrill at.

More than having Eren fear him, that reliance that the brunet had allowed himself to feel for Rivaille in that warehouse had threatened to break something inside of the silver-eyed demon. He hadn’t been relied on since…well, since before demonhood. And those were foggy memories. But to feel that growing trust that Eren was developing for him made Rivaille feel strange. Ill in some ways. He wasn’t used to this kind of responsibility, but at the same time he would do anything for that boy in an instant. There was no thought or logic required for it. Rivaille was devoted, whether he had planned it to go that way or not.

And he had certainly _not_ planned it to go that way.

Rivaille hadn’t really been ready for the commitment of taking on his fated mate, hadn’t been prepared for the changes it would awaken in him. Too late, now. The raven would probably always be a little unhinged. But he felt a strict aversion to anything that related to Eren’s pain. A new development. There was no way that Eren would ever believe it, but Rivaille knew it to be true. The moment he detected distress through their bond, it filled him with worry until the silver-eyed demon was sick with it. Frantic with the need to stop that hurt and provide comfort.

Eren had gotten a shitty deal in that regard; Rivaille was probably the least comforting presence that could exist. And poor Eren was stuck with him.

Deep down, past the selfish need to have Eren all to himself, Rivaille was acutely aware that his mate deserved better. But there were other times, few and far in between, when Rivaille suspected that it wasn’t that Eren deserved better than Rivaille…it was that Rivaille deserved someone so good to better him.

And didn’t that thought just make him sick to his stomach. He hadn’t thought about trying to be _good_ in at least a thousand years.

With his track record, there wasn’t a whole lot of hope for the future either.

Then again, Eren would probably be relentless in whipping him into decent mate material. He was a stubborn little twerp, which was part of his allure in the first place. Rivaille had always admired that spirit. Had wanted to have it for his own, to seduce that spirit. And now he had Eren, could keep that stubborn boy safe. It seemed like a ridiculous desire coming from someone who had kept him prisoner, according to Eren. Rivaille had preferred to call it being under house arrest. The brunet had gotten careless. He was making enemies. And at the end of the day, no matter how much Rivaille might have hurt him…he would never have killed him.

Not that the brat had known that. Eren had been dead set on the idea that if he stepped a toe out of line, he would have been destroyed. Rivaille never really corrected the boy, either.

Once he knew that Eren was his fated, there was no way that Rivaille could have killed him. If only he could convince Eren of that.

 

 

If Rivaille was being completely honest with himself, those first days of chaos had been a bit of a tantrum on his part. He wanted his mate. There was a twisting jealousy in his gut, a rising warmth in him that called for him to find his mate and remind Eren of just who he was fated to. But there was an obscure respect in him, too, that was almost accepting of Eren’s wandering affections. He had fallen first for this man, this mortal he was so attached to. They had had longer to be intimate, whereas Rivaille had only just earned that right. It was a conflict that had the silver-eyed demon gnashing his teeth, frustrated. He wanted Eren, but he wouldn’t risk the boy’s wrath by challenging his pet.

Eren’s trust in him was new, a potentially fragile thing. Whatever the boy got from his human, it was clearly more than a simple desire. Eren wouldn’t jeopardise his mating bond for anything less than a need.

Whatever Eren needed from that bastard, that Levi, Rivaille wouldn’t be so cruel as to forbid the boy his fill of it.

That didn’t mean he wouldn’t stew in a pouting fit about the whole mess of a situation.

And thus the feeding rampage began. It was better that way, to at least have the distraction of that high feeling when he was full of these little, human snacks. It was completely unlike surviving off of other demons, or souls. Living flesh was the best. And it was the fastest way to build up strength, besides. Rivaille had never felt so invigorated. It made him hot with yearning for Eren, made him want to spend an entire week bedding his feisty little mate. He wanted to share in the feasting. Wanted to watch Eren lose himself to the hunt, to the frenzy that accompanied feeding freely.

But that wasn’t an option, for the moment at least. So Rivaille distracted himself. He hardly bothered playing with his food, which was his favourite thing. More than anything, Rivaille had hoped that he might catch Eren’s attention and call the brunet out to play with him…together they might have marvelled at the thrills of this world.

For one…the sun. It had showed briefly when the raven had shifted forms to sleep, and when he had awoken it was just before dawn. Rivaille had skulked about when the light had begun to show itself over the horizon. He waited for the scorching heat of day…but it never came. The chilly air remained cool to the demon. Pleasant, even.

He risked a step into the sunlight…and he was not disappointed.

The light itself was warm, gentle unlike the searing rays of Hell’s sun. These beams wanted to warm him through like a lover, not burn him alive. Rivaille marvelled at his skin, not burning or reacting at all to the yellow star.

In his own excitement, he blotted out the sun with the storms that arrived every time Rivaille was not in his lowest form. He liked the cold rain that would pour down whenever he shifted, once just standing and letting the rain wash over him, beating against his skin, his wings. There was a certain care that the raven took, making sure to keep himself concealed from the eyes of the increasingly worried residents of the city. They were not used to the rain, but Rivaille didn’t care much for what the humans thought. He kept himself hidden and made sure to keep his feeding just this side of covert. That was, he never let anyone see him feeding. There would be no witnesses.

Within days there were rumours of some kind of freakish new terrorist organisation, talk of government experimentation on evaporating human beings. All because of one decimated alleyway.

Honestly, these people needed to learn how to loosen up.

In between gorging himself on the delicious inhabitants of this world, Rivaille did very little else. He slept and he pined for his mate.

Being able to feed so well had the silver-eyed demon sluggish and more sated than he had felt in centuries. He could have eaten for days on end, but after the years and years of Hell’s limited resources and living off of souls…this was Rivaille very own, personal slice of Heaven. Rivaille longed for Eren, left high on so much human in his system and horny for his brat. Rutting into his hand was a pale comparison to having his mate. Despite the obvious longing that would travel across their bond from Rivaille to Eren, the call the brunet must feel, the younger demon would not come to him. He was too busy guarding his human beau.

Rivaille seethed and obliterated an unfortunate passer-by.

The silver-eyed demon did not enjoy being ignored. He especially did not like it knowing that his bonded mate was within flying distance, no doubt cuddled up with some mortal blip of existence.

Sitting around and moping was boring, so Rivaille made up his mind to have himself a good time. He could use this to his advantage; while Eren was so worried about his precious human, he would not comprehend what a blunder it was on his part to send Rivaille off on his own. Especially in this world.

 

It was in a filthy back alley that Rivaille found it…the first human he met that he couldn’t kill. Coincidentally, it was also the first human Rivaille met that made him do a triple take before he could ensure he wasn’t having some sort of bizarre daydream.

Scrawny, too thin and filthy, Rivaille almost didn’t recognise the kid.

In the end, though, there had been no way that he wouldn’t have known. All the clues were there, the hauntingly identical features, the scent so sweet, and all the signs in the air that pointed Rivaille’s attention down the alley.

“Eren?” The raven asked aloud.

But the boy did not stir.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh shit. Another moment that doesn't really qualify as a cliffhanger to me but you guys will probably disagree on that, my cliffhanger identification software is skewed.


	60. It's A Small World After All

This…was not ideal.

Rivaille padded his way down the alley, each step measured to the point where his approach was so obviously wary. It was a significant moment and, for once in his existence, Rivaille wasn’t sure what to do with himself. Claw-tipped feet stopped by the boy’s face. Was it panic that raced through his chest, or perhaps excitement? More likely it was a rush of both, too much emotion in the face of this new discovery and yet Rivaille’s expression was stuck in place – calm.

Human, the scent said it right away. A warm smell, vaguely sweet and filled with that silent, heady promise that Rivaille would never taste anything quite as good. He’d known that before. It was common knowledge; every demon knew as much.

Silver eyes bore into the view, tracing the startlingly familiar features. The same, stern brows pulled together even now in a frown that brought back so many memories. Rivaille let them wash over him, relishing the way the images grounded him. Differences became apparent between the figure in Rivaille’s memory and the one he was faced with now. The form was different, the body leaner and without the strength that Eren possessed. But it was him, undoubtedly. Warm and living, with a pulse and hot blood rushing in his veins. By some unlikely chance, right there at his feet, lay the human incarnation…of Rivaille’s fated mate. So still, but breathing.

He was sleeping, Rivaille realised.

What kind of circumstances would make a human sleep in such a place, entitled as they could get?

Bad circumstances, Rivaille knew that much already.

Small world, the raven thought to himself as he sunk into a crouch by the boy’s head.

Even from a distance it had been startlingly obvious, but up close it was breathtaking. A younger, scrawnier version of his brat lay curled up on the pavement, legs lost in cardboard and ruined boxes – a makeshift shelter, perhaps? Rivaille features twitched into a frown; the boy smelled of sickness and malnourishment, frowning even in slumber.

Of all the wretched humans scuttling about on the face of the planet, this one could prove the most troublesome.

And the little twerp hadn’t even woken up yet.

What was he doing out here?

Rivaille had a sneaking suspicion that this brat hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in a very long time. The signs were all there. Shadows lingered under closed eyes, even in sleep. The boy’s lips were chapped, probably a symptom of dehydration, and Rivaille detected a troubled aura to the brunet. Worry rolled off him even in this unconscious state, leaving even Rivaille unsettled. He wasn’t used to being effected in this manner, although there was a good chance that it was because his guard was down.

In the presence of such a helpless creature, there was nothing Rivaille could do to keep the walls from dropping. Now it was just him and this boy. No cold apathy to keep the swell of responses at bay.

Irritation flickered in him. Of all the times and places to emerge, why was _this_ human _here_? The universe had pulled another of its wretched pranks, dropping a frail mortal life into the hands of a monster. What did it want him to do about it?

Rivaille considered leaving, but that thought was deemed ridiculous.

Where could he possibly go knowing that this particular human was here, alone and utterly helpless?

He wanted to be angry, anything other than the resigned calm that settled over him. This was Eren’s mortal counterpart. There wasn’t a thing that Rivaille could do without thinking through a thousand different options now that he knew as much. Killing the boy, surprisingly, was not the first thought that crossed Rivaille’s mind. It should have been. He’d thought about it before, but seeing this Eren rendered the raven strangely devoid of his usual hunger. This skinny brat didn’t look like it, but he would be the most flavoursome morsel Rivaille would ever be able to find on this world. No doubt Eren had felt the same when he’d discovered his Levi. Greater than hunger, there was the need to have even this lesser form of their fated ones close. Inside. Safe.

For not all demons ate because they were hungry or cruel or mad. Some ate to protect, even if it could not be understood by their so-called victims. Rivaille remembered all the times he’d consumed a creature for its own good, and those times were few.

But staring down at this filthy little twerp, Rivaille found no hunger at all. He wasn’t meant to kill this one.

What, then, was its purpose?

He supposed that would reveal itself in time, though the raven loathed to wait.

Other urges made themselves known, the desire to spoil and pamper. The poor kid looked like he hadn’t had the luxury of being mollycoddled in a long time. Rivaille felt a surge of protectiveness with no explanation other than that this boy looked like his fated. Younger than Eren looked, but undoubtedly the same features. A little sallow. It was a sad sight to see. For some reason, life had been unkind to this human lately. The evidence of his misfortunes were written in the dark circles under his eyes, the sorry state of his clothes, not to mention his whereabouts. Rivaille wasn’t particularly savvy in the world of humans but he knew enough to recognise that this place was hardly up to normal standards of living.

Fingers found their way into messy brown hair, claws melted away of their own volition. The brat was in sore need of a bath and Rivaille was tempted to groom him, but he knew the effort was not likely to be welcomed. Humans were touchy about most things that licked them.

In the quiet of the alley, Rivaille wove soft words – a sleeping spell to ease the frown on the boy’s face as he rested. Yes, sleep. Poor kid…he looked like he could use at least a solid week doing little else.

While he rested, Rivaille stood guard. He sat near the boy’s head, still stroking his hair like the human was some pet.

It occurred to Rivaille that he’d never seen his Eren so young before. The Eren he knew had matured long before they’d met, and even then the brunet was still youthful. But this creature was without the gift of immortality. A teenager, if Rivaille had to guess. Not a child, but just looking at him made Rivaille think the word ‘kid’.

What was he doing here in the dirt and grime, hidden away in such an unsavoury part of town?

“Why are you here, little one?” Rivaille wondered aloud.

He was tempted, oh so very tempted, to go searching through the boy’s memories for answers. It wouldn’t be difficult. It also wouldn’t make for a very pleasant first encounter. Rivaille didn’t want to give this Eren a reason to hate him, as he knew well just how much effort it took to earn his Eren’s forgiveness.

There was nothing to be done until the boy woke, and wasting a good sleeping spell seemed stupid.

The raven listened to the breathing – peaceful but a little rattly.

The kid deserved his rest.

Rivaille made himself as comfortable as one could get on cold concrete, settling in to watch over the human while he slept. It felt bizarre to play guardian again. Familiar, though the last time he’d watched an Eren this young sleep it had been a lifetime ago. Patience came like a breath of calm. It was easy to sit there, eyes sharp on the street, the rooftops, the fenced-in yards of shady silos and buildings. Rivaille could play watchdog. Protector. It felt stupid; he was above this sort of thing…and yet he wasn’t. The process was as bothersome as it was duty. There wasn’t a choice for Rivaille; he needed this boy but the reason was as yet unknown to him. A gut feeling. The raven felt the steady drag of time, constant as always. Overhead, the sky threatened to dump rain but Rivaille held off the downpour with a glower. It could rain later. For now, Rivaille had a single duty – keep this spot safe. No one passed that way, not a single soul. The area seemed quite desolate compared to the more lively parts of the city where people thronged.

It was a good spot to hide when you were on the run.

The raven passed the time with little tasks, keeping tabs on the brunet curled up beside him. He extended a wing, the shape appearing in a wisp of dark smoke, and covered the human with it like a living blanket. Focusing warmth there was easy. Not too much. A little at a time would be enough to keep this boy comfortable…although nothing else about their surrounds seemed comfortable.

The kid didn’t move at all other than to breathe. That was probably why Rivaille’s eyes travelled so quickly to the only other source of movement that appeared, slow and cautious around the side of a building.

Several hundred metres away, a figure was creeping. Rivaille watched it like a hawk, taking in the hooded head and shady persona that wandered in and out of sight. It was searching, scanning the streets, ducking into buildings and clutching something by its ear.

Being the only other living thing close by, Rivaille watched the new human perform its patrol.

It hadn’t spotted him and for that, Rivaille had his spells to thank. It was a simple magic, concealment. Just a little trick to fool the mind into believing that nothing was there. Relax. You’re safe.

Monsters don’t exist.

Rivaille couldn’t make out a face even as the stranger wandered gradually closer, but he didn’t need to identify this person to scare them off. Or worse.

As the figure drew nearer, Rivaille bothered to pay attention to its low voice. A man; he was communicating with someone else with the device in his hand.

“ _Yes_ I’m sure. I’ve been looking all fucking _week_!” The man hissed. “There were sightings, this has to be it.”

Sightings? Rivaille shifted forwards just barely, his eyes keen with interest.

Was this human and its associate after him? It made sense, by now some word could have spread about Rivaille’s appearance even if it was only as a new demonic presence. As far as Rivaille knew, Eren had never unleashed any sort of extraordinary power in the presence of humans, so it wouldn’t be hard to assume that there was another force at work. Eren had allies, and now there was a chance that people knew about that. Still, how could anyone follow Rivaille here? No one should have been able to see him come here, unless they had another demon working with them and that was impossible because no one would cross Rivaille. Not even that Mikasa, and she despised him.

The stranger stopped suddenly and Rivaille blinked, noticing that the man was staring in his direction.

No, wait…he was staring at Eren.

The man tilted his head up, but all Rivaille could see was a mask beneath the hood to conceal the human’s face. The eyes, though, shone with triumph.

“Scratch that. Found the twerp.”

Oh. They were after someone, indeed. Not Rivaille, though.

“Over by the Wrecker’s Yards, I told you it would be somewhere random. Yeah, one of those obscure lanes. George or something like that, you should be able to see it on the maps.”

Rivaille tuned the man out as he glanced back at the smaller human sheltered under his wing. It kept the boy warm but didn’t shield him from view…damn. Too late to start a broader concealing spell.

“Twerp’s asleep; should I proceed with the extraction?”

_Extraction_. The word pulled red into Rivaille’s mind and his vision swam briefly with rage. They wanted to take him. These freakish humans were relentless, hunting down one Eren and then the other like they knew the two were connected in some way.

Rivaille wouldn’t let them have the chance to confirm that little theory.

Their fucked up plans involving Eren’s human counterpart would end here, because they would never find the boy again after today.

He paused, observing the man awaiting his instructions, and wondered what to do. How best to end this one? Would it be better to leave him alive? To thwart and deceive, or to kill? It would be easier to decide with more information and Rivaille found himself wondering again at the motivations of these humans. So deranged compared to the ones considered to be normal. The raven might have been confused, might have wondered what the boy at his side had done to have this kind of person tracking him down like some kind of beast...if not for the barest hint of a familiar and wretched scent.

That human…the one from the warehouse. Rivaille had let him go then, unsure of Eren’s plan for the man, if the brunet had even had one. But he could smell that human filth on this bastard now and he knew.

Rivaille remembered the lingering memories in the air, in the energy, of the warehouse. The conversation his own human counterpart had had with that madman blonde.

_Erwin_ …it had been a long time since Rivaille had heard that name, or seen that face. Funny, that they should share the title. That was rare. Rivaille remembered the loss; the Erwin he had known had been one of few remembered companions from the existence before Hell that Rivaille hadn’t eaten. Even as a demon, he’d been smart enough to hide himself from Rivaille. And then, thousands of years later, it was all for naught. This broken, human version of the once great man had defeated his demons…or so it seemed. Rivaille had a sneaking suspicion that his old demonic chum had allowed himself to be summoned and destroyed. After thousands of years on the run from an old friend, Erwin must have just wanted peace.

Peace that Rivaille had tried to give him. He remembered the decision, the choice to consume his comrades. They had not suffered through the millennia as he had, already at peace and lending their strength to his cause. Except for Erwin, always the clever one.

Not clever enough to give into death, to want it even.

And he’d left behind a human more twisted than the demonic counterpart had ever been.

This human Erwin was causing quite a bit of trouble on this side of the Way Through, Rivaille acknowledged. And now the blonde bastard thought he could take some kind of army to fuck up the other side? Well good fucking luck to him.

But he would not be allowed to have this boy.

This goon was one of Erwin’s. If not directly, then they were at least within the same group. They had interacted and Rivaille could smell the man on the approaching human in the alley now.

Perhaps, then, it was finally time for some answers. And some interrogation of the unpleasant kind?

Rivaille blinked himself into existence, appearing before the man like he had always been standing there, and the raven watched the man flounder in white-faced confusion for a moment. The previously deserted alley was a lot less deserted. Too late for him, though.

The man’s mouth opened to speak, presumably to inform his accomplices that something new had entered the fray, but Rivaille’s hand was quick to close around his throat. He would not be squealing any helpful secrets to the other humans. The man let out a wretched gargle, and maybe that grip was a little too harsh but Rivaille found he didn’t mind whether or not this human survived his interrogation.

“Look _at me_.” The raven commanded, and even quiet words shook the sky in this form.

He must have made for quite the worrying sight. A man-shaped beast decked out in glittering black scales, with garish wings and a lashing, thorned tail to boot. Wreathed in smoke and crowned with horns, anyone could have guessed what kind of creature he was.

The man knew it. It was written in his bulging eyes, the horrified stare melting into nothingness as the human’s mind gave over. A connection was established and Rivaille didn’t bother being gentle in his search. He roved through memories, aware of fear and dizziness and a need for air in the human’s awareness.

What he discovered was unsurprising.

A sickening amount of secretive meetings held in churches, flickers of that familiar face, an Erwin that was unrecognisable as he was twisted into something truly crazed.

Rivaille could feel good about his own mental state after seeing how unhinged a human could get within a lifetime.

The plan? A supposed full-scale invasion of Hell. What was most laughable about it was that the thing was meant to be a secret.

Erwin revealing the plan? Just another piece of their overall puzzle. Something to make the demons feel at ease, to let them believe that they were preparing and then take them by surprise.

Were they stupid? Were these people honestly that naïve?

Take a demon by surprise and it would buy you seconds. _Seconds_. And war, that kind of war, could be won in seconds. It was not a proper fight. This would be a suicide mission.

How delightful.

But that would be an adventure for another time. Some things were better left to play out on their own and Rivaille had a feeling he wouldn’t have to stop this little ploy. And there was something else he wanted to know.

_Erwin. Where’s Erwin?_

Rivaille pressed, feeling the man give in without so much as a fight.

And there he was…the man of the moment. Erwin Smith. A particularly nasty bastard, at least in this lifetime. It would have shamed his past selves to know that they would be followed by such a disappointing descendant.

The Erwin Rivaille remembered…there wasn’t a game that existed that Rivaille could have bested him at.

But this? It was laughable. And Rivaille was going to savour every minute of this victory.

When he released his grip, the man slumped to the ground and crumpled. Rivaille hadn’t realised that he had lifted the guy from the ground in the first place, and he found blood on his fingers. He sighed at the presence of his claws, an unfortunate side-effect of letting his concentration go to better sieve through memories.

Choking reached the raven’s ears, wet and horrified.

A single, well-aimed slash was all it took to put the man out of his misery.

The alley was quiet again.

“Wh-Wha?!” A new voice cried in alarm.

Well…not a new voice, for Rivaille would know that sound anywhere.

Rivaille heard the scrape of cardboard, the scrabble of limbs, and his eyes were wide as he turned.

Oh…another reason why he shouldn’t have let his concentration slip.

Eyes like saucers stared at him, huge pools of vivid green. They were filled with shock, fear, all things that Rivaille had seen in those eyes before…only not in this form. The boy had woken.

Rivaille held up his hands, slow and with the intention of letting the now awake brunet that he meant no harm.

Those wide eyes zeroed in on the claw-tipped fingers, still dripping with blood.

So much for a good introduction.

“You know this looks pretty bad,” Rivaille admitted, “but I want you to listen to me-”

He stopped when the boy bolted, turning on his heel and running like he was fleeing from Death himself.

Smart kid.

Rivaille sighed, watching the brat go. It wasn’t the reaction he’d been hoping for, but really fleeing was the only response that made sense. He had just killed a guy in front of the kid. What did he honestly expect would happen? Nevertheless, Rivaille knew he couldn’t just let this twerp go sprinting off now that he’d seen the raven. That would only make things worse for everyone if the boy did get caught by Erwin or his goons.

Rivaille let the kid have a few blocks head start, a clawed foot tapping against the ground in impatience.

Ten seconds passed. Twenty. The kid was getting gradually smaller as he fled, not looking back even once. Everything was devoted to flight.

This little shit had good survival instincts at least.

Thirty seconds.

That was about far enough.

Rivaille expected the screech of alarm when he appeared in front of the boy, though it still stung his ears. The brunet tried to stop, but was going so fast that he only ended up skidding right into Rivaille’s waiting arms.

_Careful_ , Rivaille reminded himself as he secured the boy. This was one human he had to be gentle with. With past victims, Rivaille hadn’t had to bother to reign in his strength to avoid hurting them for they would end up as snacks anyway. This time it was different. The hold he had felt too light, but Rivaille wouldn’t risk anything more. Just a lapse in focus and he could seriously damage this kid, and human bones weren’t much stronger than chalk to a demon of Rivaille’s power.

The kid made to struggle, wrenching a hand free of Rivaille’s hold. Crap, he needed a little more pressure. The newly freed hand pulled back, tanned fingers balling into a fist and, much to Rivaille’s sudden pride and amusement, the twerp aimed a punch at the raven’s face.

How…unexpected.

The boy’s actions seemed to slow, but Rivaille knew it was only because of his own rapid thoughts.

Silver eyes were wide with surprise and…delight.

There was fire here in this human, a fierce spirit ready to lash out despite the bad circumstances or disadvantages. Rivaille had been prepared for a meek and frightened soul but, while this boy was clearly scared, he was in no way meek. Those green eyes blazed, the gaze panicked but determined. The message was clear – _I will not die here today._ This human refused to go out without a fight to the very last, wretched breath, even as ill and exhausted that he must be.

A new tactic was called for if Rivaille couldn’t trust his own strength not to hurt this boy.

“ _Stop_ that.” Rivaille said, using just the right inflection.

The brunet swung his arm, missing just barely as mischievous magic steered his aim off course. Rivaille released the boy entirely, ready to watch him figure out what was happening. The brunet stumbled but swerved quickly, bemused but determined. He didn’t give up, trying again and again to land a blow only to begin realising that he physically couldn’t touch the dark-haired stranger watching him.

Rivaille saw the flickering decision and knew before the human did that he would run.

The second attempt to bolt was thwarted. Rivaille was an excellent blockade, appearing in the way no matter where the boy turned.

With a last failed blow, the brunet gave a garbled shout of annoyance. He backed up against the wall, lip curled in anger, looking very much like a wild and cornered animal. This kid was brimming with the fighting spirit of a furious and rabid beast, ready to lash out to save himself regardless of the likelihood that he might lose.

Troubled green eyes snapped up to meet curious silver, twin gazes of frustration and calm meeting in the quiet of the empty street.

“Who the fuck are you?!” The boy gusted, panting hard but looking just as ready for a fight.

Rivaille blinked calmly back at the raging display, unphased by the outburst or the seething glower that was aimed at him. Even exhaustion couldn’t tame this spitfire.

“My name is Rivaille.” The raven answered. “What’s yours?”

“Why can’t I hit you?” Growled the brunet, apparently not in the mood to answer any of Rivaille’s questions.

He broke into a fit of coughing, wet sounds that confirmed Rivaille’s suspicions that the boy was unwell. A slight shaking had begun, visible in the brunet’s fingers and tremors in his legs. Adrenaline? It was probably the only thing keeping the poor kid standing right about then.

“You can’t hit me because I don’t want you to.” Rivaille admitted, choosing the path of simple and straightforward honesty. “What’s your name?” He tried again.

The raven’s answer puzzled the brunet. He blinked, clearly shocked by such an frank reply, before his face twisted into disbelief.

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” The boy muttered, making a face. “‘Because I don’t want you to’, what are you a wizard?”

The brunet’s tone was laced with scepticism, the suspicion that came along the moment anything unexplainable came along.

Rivaille didn’t have time to do any gentle convincing.

“What’s your _name,_ sapling?” The raven asked again with just a touch of truevoice.

He remembered the way Eren’s precious pet had reacted to hearing Rivaille’s truevoice back at the warehouse. It would be best to avoid a similar reaction now from this human. A little of the right inflection on the right word was enough to push mortals to obey, and it worked as expected.

The brunet stiffened at the strange tone and he appeared to almost choke on his reply in his attempt to resist Rivaille’s command.

“H-Hunter.” He coughed out at last, scowling the moment he had control over himself again. “How are you doing that?”

The twerp caught on quick, but Rivaille didn’t plan on launching into a lecture about demonic abilities before they’d even become civil with each other.

“Why are you out here, Hunter?” Rivaille pressed, feeling concern stir within him again.

Hunter’s scowl shifted to a less intense but still troubled frown. “Could you stop?” The boy all but pleaded, agitated at the bizarre scenario. “I don’t know you, I don’t want to know you, so if you’re not planning on kidnapping me or killing me then could I go? Please?”

Rivaille arched an eyebrow, curious at the almost accepting attitude that this Hunter brat had towards the situation. He didn’t seem all that curious about Rivaille’s appearance, nor did the brunet appear to be interested at all in the raven’s motives.

“No, I don’t think that would be wise.” Rivaille said, denying the request for leave. “There are people after you.”

Green eyes rolled and Rivaille felt a flicker of frustration, having seen that same indignant expression mirrored on Eren’s face. As it turned out, both could be stubborn, infuriating brats.

“I kind of noticed, thanks.” Hunter shot back, and suspicion returned to his eyes as he tilted his head back a little. “And you’re trying to tell me you’re not one of them?”

“I wasn’t, until now.” Rivaille answered truthfully.

Anger returned to the green gaze and Hunter fumed.

“So you are after me!” He exclaimed, tone accusing.

Rivaille raised his hands again, another attempt to pacify the angry teen. “Not for the same reasons, I assume.” He said. “Why are those people after you? Do you know?”

For once the brunet was quiet. Hunter turned his eyes towards the ground, looking honestly disheartened for the first time since waking.

“I don’t want to talk about it to anyone, least of all some creepy dude on the street.” Hunter mumbled, beginning to sound as weary as he looked. The fighting spirit was waning. “Just let me go, man.”

Rivaille couldn’t say anything for a moment, swarmed with pestering concerns.

He needs food, water.

He needs rest.

He needs to sit down before he falls down.

It was ridiculous. Rivaille hadn’t worried this much about anything, not even his own wellbeing. Humans were so stupidly fragile, it was going to do his head in trying to keep this one alive. And that was exactly what Rivaille was going to do.

He hoped.

“It could be important, much more important than you know.” The raven said, watching for any sign of interest. Hunter frowned, but the expression was born from curiosity. Rivaille took the chance. “What if I brought you somewhere a little less…decrepit? Got you some food, some clean clothes. Would you feel more like talking then?”

Rivaille watched the boy squint at him like he was some special kind of crazy.

“…why would you do that?” Hunter asked at last, and he sounded baffled. “This is…just weird. First you chase me down, now you want to buy me stuff?” The boy frowned. “If this is a sugar daddy thing, then no thank you. I’m…I’m good.”

Rivaille’s eyebrows shot up and he let out a stunned half-chuckle.

“Nothing like that.” He assured the brunet, shaking his head at the strange idea. “I’d just like to see you taken better care of.”

“Sounds like a sugar daddy thing to me…” Hunter sniffed, still suspicious, and looked the raven up and down, frowning, “besides, why the hell do you care? Who are you?”

Now Rivaille’s expression turned wry. “Are you stupid?” He stepped back and gave a turn, dark wings materialising as he spun on the spot only to disappear the next instant, and silver eyes held wary green. “What do I look like? What do you _think_ I am, moron?”

Hunter scoffed, looking almost smug. “You don’t want to know what I think you are.”

“I think I can tell.” Rivaille said, and he could imagine exactly the kinds of things this twerp might be calling him in that stubborn head of his. He crossed his arms. “Well, I’ll tell you all about who and what I am if you’ll answer some questions for me. How does that sound?”

“And why would I agree to that?”

“Because I can keep you safe from everyone,” Rivaille said it like a warning, and it was meant as one, “and I will whether or not you agree.”

The pair stared each other down, both gazes stern and unyielding.

Finally, though, Hunter’s sour glare evaporated and he heaved a sigh. “Geez. Fine, alright. Sugar daddy all the way.” He raised a lazy fist into the air and couldn’t have appeared more unenthusiastic if he’d tried.

Rivaille took it in stride, after all he was used to the company of moody brats.

“Spectacular.” He said dryly, offering a clawed hand to the brunet. “Well then, twerp; take my hand.” Rivaille said, wiggling his fingers to taunt. “I promise you’ll be able to, I’m not avoiding it this time.”

With a grimace and no small amount of concern, Hunter reached out and curled a grubby hand around the raven’s wrist.

Rivaille snorted at the avoidance of hand-holding. No matter.

There was a barely audible crackle like static in the air and, just like that, the two figures vanished and left the alleyway empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HUNTER HAS ARRIVED!!! And he's a little shit, if you couldn't tell.
> 
> Hunter is 15, brutally honest most of the time, and doesn't like listening to people complain about their problems unless it's to work out a solution. Naturally, he's going to annoy a lot of people. Hunter is also completely okay with punching someone in the face if they're being an asshole.
> 
> And he's a lot of fun to write XD this kid, I swear. Rivaille has no idea what he's getting himself into, but at least he's using his powers for a non-evil reason for once in his existence.


	61. Spoiled For Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1: it's been a while, I know, and 2: this chapter is almost 11,000 words long because there was nowhere good to cut it so I hope that makes up for my lousy update schedule.

The air in eastern suburbia turned static, like a threat of lightning was present. The previously overcast sky darkened further, as if summoned by the electric surge, but no rain fell from the heavy clouds that lurked low and ominous above the houses.

Thanks to the ever-handy concealment magic Rivaille was so fond of, no one saw two strangers suddenly warp into existence in a quiet neighbourhood half a city away from where they’d started. The dark-haired demon kept his footing while Hunter swayed, a noise of alarm bottled up in his throat. Whatever the boy had been expecting, Rivaille guessed that teleporting had not been among Hunter’s theories. The brunet was making a lot of new discoveries today.

He didn’t seem to be enjoying them too much.

Not two seconds after their arrival and the air was full of howling. Loud and agitated barking echoed through the streets as every dog in the near vicinity was disturbed by the new energy in their air – a drastic change that went unnoticed by the humans. The canines picked it up, though – clever mutts that they were. Not for the first time was Rivaille glad that dogs couldn’t speak; he could imagine the sorts of wild and wacky things the mongrels would have to tell their masters.

No one saw the arrival of the shrouded newcomers, nor did anyone see one of the new suspicious duo break away clutching at his mouth and stomach. And thankfully no one saw the worryingly pale brunet double over and start retching his guts up into a flower patch, all while his companion looked on in silence.

Hunter gave a miserable cough, leaning with his hands on his knees, and spoke to the ground.

“Uhhng…I hate you.”

His words were clearly meant for Rivaille.

The raven clicked his tongue. “At least it happened before you got clean.”

He received a groan in response and Hunter went back to heaving.

Rivaille frowned at the sight. He had not foreseen the potential outcome of humans having an adverse reaction to teleportation, and thus felt a little guilty as he watched Hunter deposit the limited contents of his stomach into some stranger’s garden bed. There wasn’t a lot he could do about it.

The brunet straightened after what felt like forever, looking sickly pale but more composed than he’d been a moment ago.

Rivaille raised an eyebrow when the boy glanced at him. “Are you done?”

“Leave me alone,” Hunter griped, features twisted in discomfort, “two seconds with you and I already feel like I’m dying.”

“I’m sorry.” Rivaille offered, since it was his oversight that had landed Hunter in distress. “Humans clearly weren’t made to have all their particles shifted across town. I’ll be better prepared next time.”

At that, Hunter shot him a dirty look.

“Next time?” The brunet gave a snarky chuckle. “Fuck you if there’ll be a next time.”

Rivaille bared his teeth at the insolent response, reminded of yet another insolent brat he was tied too. Hunter and Eren were very different, and yet both had inherited the acute ability to get on Rivaille’s nerves. They would probably be the only creatures in the universe to do so and get away with it, too. The raven caught himself, putting sharp-toothed threats aside when Hunter’s eyes widened a little and worry began to fill his scent. He was still not used to predatory companions. Well…at least not the demonic variety.

The silver-eyed demon did his best to appear non-threatening, but sporting his current form there wasn’t much point. Rivaille let out a sigh and resigned himself to the task at hand. They had already been standing around too long; the raven had no idea how much time he had before he would need to depart and then Hunter would be on his own again.

It was only a matter of time before Eren called on him, whether the teal-eyed twerp wanted to or not. He was still recovering, suffering no doubt but too proud to seek comfort until the very last moment. Eren had already revealed his determination to keep his human pet safe, even to the detriment of his own health and safety, much to Rivaille’s frustration. But it granted him a rare opportunity. When Eren needed to set his plans in motion, there was only one creature he would call.

Not his icy, so-called sibling, Mikasa, nor his hovering genius, Armin. Rivaille knew he would be valued above them when the time came, or else he would have never been allowed to cross here. Eren wouldn’t have risked it if there hadn’t been even the barest sliver of trust.

When the time came, Rivaille had to prove himself. No matter the task, no matter how much he might want to refuse, there would likely never be another chance quite like this one.

The only problem was that Rivaille had not planned on discovering a new brat. Hunter, who was also too stubborn for his own good, was far less capable of taking care of himself than Eren in Rivaille’s opinion. For a human, he was strong in spirit, full of fiery determination. But mortality would forever leave him weak.

It wasn’t Rivaille’s duty to play guardian angel on two fronts. He wouldn’t be able to do it, not fairly. Much as his new instincts wanted Rivaille to protect this newfound interest, the raven’s loyalty had been devoted to Eren for longer.

Which was why, if he was to be of any help to this human at all, they needed to hurry along.

“So you really are some kind of spawn of Satan?” The brunet asked, pulling Rivaille from his thoughts.

“Where did that come from?” He asked.

“You were all “you humans aren’t built for teleporting” and generally other humans don’t say that kind of stuff. So naturally I was just wondering if you were, you know, Satan or something? The head honcho of Hell or whatever?”

“You think Satan runs Hell?” Rivaille snorted. “That’s cute. Oh yeah, he’s a real tyrant playing gate guardian.”

“Really, though?” Hunter prompted.

Human curiosity was strong. Even with the evidence before him, Hunter still had to ask. He still wanted to hear the answer right from the source and then, hopefully, all doubt would be cleared.

“You know what, actually I’d rather not know.” Hunter changed his mind, making a face. “Ignorance is bliss and all that jazz, just leave me out of it.”

It was an admirable effort, overriding curiosity with common sense. Hunter’s survival instincts were good, better than a lot of humans that Rivaille had encountered since arriving here. But fate was a complicated thing and Hunter couldn’t escape the strings that had already tied him in place in this adventure.

“It’s not that simple.” The raven sighed. “You’re already involved, although it’s your own kind that are after you…not mine. Lucky for you, I just so happen to want you alive and well.”

“Why’s that?” Hunter asked, looking suspicious.

No wonder; it wasn’t every day that a demon tried to keep someone alive. Even after only just learning that there were, in fact, non-human entities out there Hunter knew well enough not to trust when one didn’t want him dead.

“It’s complicated,” Rivaille admitted, and complicated didn’t begin to describe the situation, “but you remind me of someone I love.”

The brunet made a face, taking a step back. “Aw man.” He held up his hands. “Don’t make this any creepier than it has to be.”

Rivaille glowered. “Tch. Don’t flatter yourself; I’m not into _children_.” He growled.

“I’m not a child.” Hunter glared back, strangely unperturbed by the inhuman sound that rumbled in Rivaille’s throat.

Rivaille arched a brow in challenge. “Is that so? Then why are you behaving like one, Mr. Immature?”

It was Hunter’s turn to growl, though he didn’t sound anywhere near as intimidating.

“Fuck you.” The brunet retorted.

It earned him an unearthly chortle of amusement from Rivaille.

“I thought we just established that wasn’t going to happen?” The raven teased, delighted by the brunet’s indignant reaction. “Honestly, Hunter, do try and keep up.”

“You’re a real asshole, you know that?”

“Oh I know that.” Rivaille gave a sharp-toothed grin, the expression humourless and eerie. “But we can argue about that later.” Rivaille uttered, oddly quiet as he steered them away from the sidewalk.

They were still wasting time. Time that neither of them could really afford to squander on petty bickering and idle chitchat.

Although it was nice to be able to talk with someone and not want to bite their head off.

Rivaille could feel Hunter’s eyes on him, a new kind of suspicion floating in those green pools.

“You…you okay, man? You went all quiet on me.”

He was a brash but observant twerp, Rivaille noted.

“Just thinking.” He said, evasively.

The raven marched onwards, towing Hunter along with him. There were a lot of houses on this street, but Rivaille was looking specifically for an empty one. His eyes scanned for the right signs – a lack of heat residue, the quiet that meant no one was home.

“About what?” Hunter pried after a long, pensive silence on his part.

Rivaille wasn’t sure he appreciated the attempt at getting him to talk about his problems.

“About the troublesome brats in my life.” The raven answered.

There was a brief silence.

“I feel like you’re implying that I’m included in that statement, and I am offended,” Hunter announced finally, “…I think.”

Rivaille gave a snort. “Don’t think too hard, I wouldn’t want you to wear yourself out before you get cleaned up.”

He could practically hear Hunter’s indignant fuming, although the brunet remained quiet rather than retorting this time. Rivaille smirked, keeping his eyes forward. Still scanning. His tail snaked up, whipping over to wrap around Hunter’s middle and tug him along.

Rivaille hoped that the action would not go misunderstood, surely humans enjoyed tactile comfort too?

“So…we’re going somewhere to clean?” Hunter ventured to ask finally.

The brunet’s hands hovered in the air as he stumbled along, at a loss of what to do with the presence of the tail that seemed to have a mind of its own. The presence of spines was a concern. They kept themselves pressed flat, though, well behaved.

“To get _you_ cleaned, yes.” Rivaille informed the boy.

He received a grunt in reply, like Hunter wanted to be offended somehow but knew he had nothing to come back with.

Instead the boy took an interest in the living leash that was tugging him along. Curious as all humans were, Hunter just couldn’t resist poking at the free end of Rivaille’s tail, apparently very amused by its reaction. The leaner tip seemed a mix of agitated and playful. It jerked away when prodded, only to return and attempt to coil around the brunet’s wrist. Surly but affectionate.

“Is this you, or does this thing just do whatever it wants?” Hunter asked, sounding thoroughly entertained.

It was such a bizarre tone coming from the twerp who had done nothing but frown or squint at Rivaille all this time that the raven couldn’t resist looking back.

Hunter was smiling when Rivaille glanced over his shoulder. Nothing extreme, no grin or full out beam, but a little smile was better than no smile at all. After all the glowering and death glares, Rivaille was momentarily stunned by the softened features and the small, amused sounds Hunter made as the fingers of one of his hands were coiled around by Rivaille’s tail.

“Dude?” Hunter prompted when Rivaille continued to observe him in silence.

The raven blinked, shaking himself from his thoughts.

“It depends.” Rivaille answered. “Tails are tricky. They’ll do what you want, but the moment you’re distracted they develop a will of their own.” He commented, staring at his own tail trying to catch Hunter’s taunting fingers in its grasp. “Mischievous, troublesome things; they’re hardly worth the trouble.”

He turned back to the front, resuming his pace.

“Cool.” Hunter uttered from behind, still grabbing for Rivaille’s tail like some toddler. “Do all demons have tails?”

“I thought you didn’t want to know anything about our kind?” Rivaille shot back over his shoulder.

Of course that got the twerp launching into protests, like he hadn’t already proven to Rivaille that he had the maturity of a literal five-year old.

“Aw, c’mon, man. That was about, like, secrets and stuff. Tails aren’t secret…are they? This can’t be classified or anything like that, right?”

Humans; always too curious for their own good.

“You want to know about tails?” Rivaille asked dryly.

“Yeah!” Hunter enthused, not picking up on the teasing tone.

Well then, Rivaille couldn’t just pass up a perfect opportunity to fluster his new human companion.

“Well would it interest you to know that they’re incredibly sensitive and, consequently, quite vulnerable?” He tossed the comment back over his shoulder as casually as possible. “A potential weakness and therefore quite private?”

Hunter was quiet and Rivaille could all but hear the gears grinding in the boy’s head.

“Sensitive how?” The brunet ventured to ask after a long, pensive moment. “Like, ticklish? Or…or the uh,” he cleared his throat, “…the other kind?”

_The other kind._ How cute.

Rivaille let out a long, low hum, thoroughly amused with the boy’s reaction.

“I’ll let you think about that.” He chuckled.

A sound between a whine and a groan came from Hunter.

“I swear to God, if tails are the equivalent of demon dicks I’m going to be so pissed.” He announced, suddenly a whole lot less interested in the tail trying to wrap about his forearm. “Go away…uh, down boy! Seriously, cut it out!”

It took a considerable effort not to laugh at the brunet’s concern. Hunter hadn’t taken into account that if demons did use their tails to reproduce, they probably wouldn’t go waving them about quite so casually. Or maybe they would, if one believed in the Church and its propaganda – sin automatically translated to lust and murder.

Who knew what silly ideas Hunter might have been exposed to. Then again…he didn’t seem to be the religious type.

“If they were,” Rivaille started, unable to resist teasing Hunter further, “then wouldn’t this be considered foreplay?”

He felt Hunter stiffen a little, almost making the brunet trip as they were still walking. Rivaille kept his eyes forward, sauntering casually. Then, as if it were aware of the situation, his tail brushed tauntingly beneath Hunter’s chin of its own accord.

An uneasy sound left Hunter’s throat. “Stop it, man. You’re just messing with me, yeah?”

Rivaille was quiet long enough that Hunter started to squirm, but he relented.

“Yes, just a joke.” He brushed it off, snickering at Hunter’s grateful exhale.

“A joke?” The boy asked just to be sure, sounding half-winded by his relief.

The raven shrugged with one shoulder. “A little harmless teasing never hurt anybody.” He stated.

“Nu-uh, dude. I almost had a heart attack.”

At that, Rivaille couldn’t hold back a snort. “Well that’s a new one. I can safely say I’ve never given anyone a heart attack with my tail before. Or my dick, for that matter.” He said over his shoulder, eyes flashing back at the brunet along with the show of white teeth; a grin of needles and mischief.

Hunter scowled, for once not troubled by his inhuman companion. “What about by _being a dick_? Even given somebody a heart attack like that, asshole?” The boy shot back.

Rivaille barked a laugh. The kid sure wasn’t afraid to speak his mind.

“Touché, sapling.” He smirked, shrugging again. “But that’s what you get for asking questions.”

“Hey,” Hunter started, hands raised defensively, “all I wanted to know was if all demons had tails or not. You’re the one who made it weird.”

“You said you didn’t want to know before. I assumed you were being honest back then, and respected your wishes by not informing you.”

Rivaille could feel Hunter scowling at the back of his head.

“Most sugar daddies are a lot less vague than this.” Hunter stated petulantly.

The raven sighed, short and frustrated. He turned on the spot so fast that Hunter almost walked straight into him.

“Listen, _child_ ,” Rivaille emphasised the word to let Hunter know exactly what he thought of the boy, “you’re treating this like it is some kind of game, which in the grand scheme of things it is. But this,” he gestured between them, “what I am doing, is no game. I am not playing the sweet father with you. Whatever human notions you’re applying to this situation are _wrong_ and I can assure you that you have no idea of my motives. Nor do you need to know.”

Rivaille watched the brunet, startled to find Hunter stifling a laugh.

“What’s so amusing?” He demanded, glowering up at the boy.

“The sweet father?” Hunter asked him, a grin threatening to break out on his face. “That’s…you don’t really translate from sugar daddy, it’s just…that’s just what you call it.” Hunter couldn’t help himself, grinning. “You’re like a hundred years old, aren’t you? Mr Timeless? Mr Doesn’t Know What A Sugar Daddy Is?”

Rivaille understood, running back through his words. He huffed.

“Hush.” He muttered, sighing as Hunter just about doubled over laughing. At least one of them seemed to be having a good time, even if it was at the raven’s expense. “I’m not as familiar with your… _lingo_ as I’d like to be.” Rivaille admitted with a scowl.

Hunter was still getting his giggling under control. “That’s hilarious.”

Rivaille reached up and flicked the brunet between the eyes, but it hardly dampened the boy’s spirit.

“Laugh if you will,” Rivaille rolled his eyes at Hunter’s immediate snort, “but know that I’m not _usually_ so tolerant.”

Unsurprisingly, the words did not have the same intimidating effect on the grinning brunet.

Rivaille turned on his heel, walking off with Hunter following suit. The warning hadn’t stopped Hunter from snorting in the background, chuckling and muttering to himself.

“Sweet father…oh man, that shit’s priceless. I wish I’d been able to record that; I’d have it on replay at least thirty times.”

“Twerp.” Rivaille remarked, yanking with his tail to upset Hunter’s balance. “I am _thousands_ of years old and I’ve never had to deal with a mortal like you.”

“Guess there’s a first time for everything, huh?” Hunter still sounded like he was grinning, that little shit. “Isn’t that right, sweet father man? Hey, you listening? This is your boytoy speaking, when do we negotiate perks?”

Yep, that was definitely a grin Rivaille could hear in the boy’s voice and, while he knew Hunter was joking around, he was half tempted to start playing along just to watch the smug smile melt right off that self-satisfied face.

But Rivaille was learning that he couldn’t be cross with this little twerp, this cub. He’d forgotten the arrogance of youth.

It was refreshing, if tiresome, to be reminded.

 

Hunter followed Rivaille into one of the houses when the raven at last found one he deemed suitable. The brunet came in obediently, only stopping to question their location as the door closed itself behind them.

“So you live here?” Hunter asked, coaxing the tail around his waist to let go of him like it was some over-friendly pet.

“I wouldn’t dream of taking you where I live.” Rivaille said tonelessly as he took his tail back, shrugging at the tidy foyer they found themselves in. “This house is simply vacant at the moment. Nobody’s home; we should be free to move about without disturbing anyone.”

Hunter started to frown, looking around. “Wait, what the hell?” He turned back to the raven, eyes widening a little. “Did we just _break into somebody’s house?”_

Rivaille cast a searching glance around the foyer, blinking back at Hunter.

“Nothing was broken, so technically no.” He said.

Hunter gaped at him, appalled. “ _Dude_. You can’t just bust into some stranger’s home like that. It’s illegal! Not to mention very bad manners.”

“And yet here we are.” Rivaille said dryly, exhaling in mild frustration at the aghast look it earned him. “Stop gawking at me and go get yourself cleaned up, you’re disgusting.”

Rivaille was not phased by the glower Hunter sent his way, raising an eyebrow at the fuming brunet.

“Unlawful _and_ rude,” Hunter scoffed, “why am I not surprised?”

“ _Go_.” Rivaille growled out the order, scowling at the brunet as he passed with a petulant huff. “And you’d better be _thorough_. We’ve wasted enough time as it is for you to go cutting corners.”  The raven added as a final command, not willing to take chances.

Rivaille stayed put while Hunter stomped off to find the bathroom with feet that refused to obey his moody desire to resist. Hunter went because he had no other option, grumbling under his breath the whole time. The raven could hear all the choice things that the boy called him as he suffered the influence of Rivaille’s instructions to be thorough – it had been an order, not a decision he may or may not have made. There was no point in wasting a good opportunity and there was no knowing when the boy had last _had_ an opportunity to properly bathe. As far as Rivaille was concerned he was doing the twerp a favour. It took a while, but the result was worth it. Rivaille asked after Hunter’s clothing and shoe size through the door once he heard the water stop running. By the time the brunet was done drying he was being handed new garments through a door cracked open just enough for a clawed hand to reach through.

“You stole these too, I guess?” Hunter accused, but he took the offered clothes and sneakers without any further argument.

The brunet emerged shortly afterwards, hair damp and smelling of whatever fruity shampoo he’d used in there. The scent didn’t really suit him in Rivaille’s opinion but at least the boy didn’t smell like the street anymore. It was definitely an improvement. Hunter could complain all he liked but it was obvious how grateful the boy was to be clean again and in clothes that weren’t tattered and filthy. Rivaille felt like he was looking at a new person already. There was more to fix, however. The gaunt quality Hunter had was still worrying and Rivaille had plans to correct that, too.

“If you’re in the mood to eat, I could start to explain what’s happening.” The raven offered.

Hunter was picking at the sleeves of his new jumper, the material still heavy with scents of production and the smell of the store Rivaille had pinched the garment from. The brunet seemed only a little troubled, warier of the strange house than the strange creature showering him with gifts and opportunity.

The brunet sighed. “I guess I could eat.”

It was a relief to hear the admission and Rivaille nodded, satisfied.

“Good.” He said, eyeing Hunter’s skinny form. “You look like you need it.”

Rivaille snagged a hold of one of Hunter’s wrists, draping the boy’s arm over his shoulders to provide a steadying presence for him to lean on. Much as he tried to hide it, Hunter was still exhausted. He didn’t resist the help, though.

It wasn’t much, not exactly trust, but Rivaille felt like it was a good enough place to start.

 

 

Rivaille had hoped that their second attempt at teleportation would go over better. He tried to make the trip as quick as possible. Less than a second, moving from the quiet neighbourhood onto busier streets lined with shops and where the smell of food hung in the air like a promise. The journey was over before Hunter even registered that they’d left.

The raven turned to look at his charge, feeling the weight of Hunter’s arm still bearing down on his shoulder for support.

“Alright?” Rivaille asked, eyes keen on Hunter’s face.

The boy looked a little pale and a little…green. It couldn’t have been a good sign.

Hunter started shaking his head moments before he shoved away from Rivaille and staggered over to the nearest decorative shrub. There wasn’t anything left in his stomach to bring up, but he still managed to dry heave for almost two minutes.

Rivaille fretted quietly off to one side while the brunet groaned.

“It’s official: today sucks.” Hunter announced, shaking his head at the ground as he leaned against a storefront for support. “I thought it was going alright for a minute there with the showering privileges but no, this definitely sucks.”

“Are you okay?” Rivaille questioned, frowning. “Is this…normal?”

The raven was at a loss of what to do. This human didn’t take well to a lot of things that Rivaille did, and that would probably include any attempts to comfort him.

“What the fuck is normal when people can just poof in and out of existence from blocks away?” Hunter rasped. “The shit I’ve seen today…I’m going to need three weeks straight of sleep and then therapy.”

The sarcasm was back, that had to be a good sign.

Rivaille raised an eyebrow. “I take it you’re done wheezing now?”

Hunter straightened carefully, like he thought he might keel over. “Yeah, I guess.” He grumbled. “Thanks for nothing.”

“You’re not very appreciative for someone who just got their sorry ass rescued.” Rivaille observed.

“You straight up killed a guy!” Hunter accused, throwing his hands in the air to emphasise his incredulity.

The raven bristled. “That was an accident.”

He’d made a bad first impression, clearly, and Hunter wasn’t just going to let it go.

“Oh, slitting a man’s throat was an accident. Yup, makes perfect sense.” The brunet muttered.

Rivaille growled a little. “I was looking for information. _Important_ information. His life was inconsequential, and besides he would have taken you.”

And that was unacceptable. Erwin’s people had caused enough of a mess, the last thing anyone needed was for them to stumble onto a real piece of leverage.

Hunter continued to grumble under his breath, clearly under the impression that he could have handled the situation himself.

Rivaille bit back the urge to growl.

“I’m sorry. Did you want them to get their slimy hands on you? Because if that’s the case, it can be arranged.”

Hunter shot him a look, one that said he knew Rivaille was full of shit.

“Please. You’re telling me you’d go to all this effort and then have it be for nothing?” The boy scoffed, nodding his head with a bitter smirk. “Yeah right. Good one, dude.”

“Don’t push your luck, twerp.”

“You know you keep calling me twerp and kid and yet you’re the tiny one.”

Rivaille rounded on him, wings rushing into existence with a crackling sound. He held Hunter’s owlish gaze with eyes that burned white, a sharp-toothed sneer twisting his mouth.

Hunter held up his hands, eyebrows rising in alarm. “Alright. Okay. So we don’t talk about that, clearly. My bad. If you’re not going to eviscerate me on the spot, though, I do have a question…”

The little shit seemed repentant, although Rivaille had half a mind to punish him for his insolence. He pushed the thought aside, allowing his threatening stance to relax somewhat. Wings disappeared in a curl of smoke. The light in his eyes dimmed.

It took an effort, but Rivaille curbed his anger.

The raven arched an eyebrow, waiting in fuming silence.

The brunet took an anxious glance around them, looking back to Rivaille. “How exactly are we hiding right now? You go all Satan’s wrath on me, but not a single person so much as flinched? I’m officially creeped out.”

“Do you _want_ them to see us?” Rivaille asked, his tone thick with scepticism.

Hunter paused, thinking it over. “Probably not. With the way you look right now, no _definitely_ not. People would freak.”

As if Rivaille hadn’t thought of that already. The raven let go of a wearied huff, regarding Hunter with a sardonic gaze.

“So you’re not just a pretty face? I was beginning to wonder.”

Hunter looked torn between being indignant and embarrassed. He didn’t have a retort, just crossed his arms and glared at the pavement.

“Since you have such little faith in me, I’ll explain. Nobody can see us because, unlike you, I considered the shady nature of my appearance _before_ we arrived in a square full of people. Any one of these people could look right at you and they would be none the wiser. Stop worrying; you’re starting to make me paranoid.”

“Well geez. I’m sorry.” Hunter huffed his apology. “It was just a question, don’t blame me for wanting to be safe.”

He still seemed troubled, though. Green eyes tracked the comings and goings of others in the crowd, the way pedestrians wandered around them without ever seeming to really look.

“Are you…are you sure no one can see us?” The brunet gulped. “That seems a little too good to be true.”

It made sense that he was nervous, having been on the run for who knew how long. Even though Rivaille had explained it already, Hunter still doubted. Still feared. It was the first proper worry that the raven had seen in the brunet.

He had no reason to worry, however. Rivaille’s magic was thorough on any day, but doubly so when it concerned something that he was invested in.

“I’m sure.” Rivaille confirmed, turning his gaze on the thronging crowd.

None of them had the slightest awareness of either of them, simply going about their day. All was as it should be. To the passer-by, there wasn’t so much as a shadow out of place in their lives. Not a trace of unfamiliar presence lingered, any and all trace of Rivaille and Hunter eased from the awareness of those who passed them or even looked their way.

Hunter was still fretting, hands fidgeting.

“Calm down. You’re making me anxious.”

“Oh now the demon’s anxious, poor you.”

“You are safe. It’s only a simple magic – if you’ve spent enough time around beings like me then you learn to see through the more basic tricks. But no one here can see us.” Rivaille noticed the apprehensive look Hunter threw his way. “You’d know if they did, trust me. I’m sure I’d be getting some interesting looks by now if any of these _cattle_ could perceive that we were here.”

“What about talking?” Hunter continued worrying. “What if I just started screaming my head off? You’re saying that no one would notice that kind of a scene?”

Rivaille shot the brunet a dry look and shrugged. “Scream if you want to. Go ahead, give it a try. I can promise you won’t get a response.”

That seemed to calm Hunter a little and an intrigued light crept into the boy’s eyes. He looked at their surrounds as though everything was new and strange, a thousand possibilities laid out before him.

“Weird.” The brunet breathed, letting out a relieved huff. “But cool, this…this is good.”

Rivaille nodded. “We won’t be disturbed; you’re safe.”

“What about the weirdos? The church people? Those crazies that were…following me? Will they be able to see us?”

That…was a good point. Rivaille thought about it, but he couldn’t imagine that even people who went looking for demons as a day job would actually spend enough time around them to grow used to basic magic. Not all demons were as clever and cunning as people believed. Very few ever even made the crossing between worlds and the ones that did rarely stayed for very long, opting to snack and head back. There were no great and evil master plans.

Or at least there hadn’t been…until recently. Although Rivaille didn’t know if he would call his mate’s scheme an evil one.

But he digressed. There had been a point, and that point had been that no human should have ever had the chance to be around a demon long enough to perceive when they were being influenced by magic.

In fact there was only one Rivaille knew of.

Well…two now, he supposed.

The raven shook his head finally, remembering that he actually had to supply some sort of an answer.

“To get used to this sort of thing, you’d have to spend a lot of time around the unnatural.” Rivaille uttered. “Those people giving you such a hard time, they only play at being righteous warriors. I’d be surprised if half of them had even _seen_ a demon.”

Hunter turned quiet at the mention of demons, but he didn’t look scared. More like he was coming to terms with it, that he was being helped by something that only looked human.

Good. The less freaked out Hunter was, the easier all this would be.

It wouldn’t do to have the brat panicking every other minute they spent together.

“Care to stop delaying us and pick somewhere to eat?”

Hunter leaned away from the leering raven, scowling.

“Fine by me.” He muttered.

Rivaille nodded, grateful that they would be getting out of the open. Hunter’s wariness was rubbing off on him. He hadn’t felt this paranoid since…actually he couldn’t remember ever being so worked up in this lifetime.

“Good,” the raven said after too long a pause, but he didn’t bother trying to salvage the moment, “lead the way. Choose well; we’ll be there for a while.”

Hunter said nothing to that, only nodding.

The pair started off down the street, staring into store windows and investigating the various food stalls and restaurants they passed. Rivaille turned up his nose at the heavy scents of fat in the air, processed foods in great demand. The occasional whiff of vegetable matter was, surprisingly, somewhat of a relief.

Hunter was still frowning. “Why don’t I feel good about this?”

“Because you’re being chased by lunatics and your only saviour in this chaotic world happened to be a child of Hell?” Rivaille supplied, ever the helpful bastard.

An amused scoff sounded beside him and Hunter was smirking when he glanced over. “Yeah that probably has a lot to do with it.”

“Stop stalling.” Rivaille griped, impatient to begin repairing the brat’s wellbeing. “What do humans eat to stay in good health? Choose somewhere like that, practical. And yes, before you ask, it’s important.”

“You gonna tell me _why_ it’s so important?” Hunter asked, still scanning the street for somewhere they could go that fit Rivaille’s standards.

The raven prodded the boy’s shoulder with a finger, mindful not to press too hard. “Because, wiseass, I’m going to make you better.”

That seemed to take Hunter by surprise. He turned, eyes wider than usual, and raised a curious eyebrow at Rivaille.

“Better?” He echoed.

Rivaille took in a deep breath, keen senses filtering through the plethora of information it earned him.

“You’re sick.” The raven stated, side-eyeing the brunet. “I can smell it.”

His glance challenged Hunter to deny it but all the boy did was huff.

“Cos that’s not creepy at all. In any way. Nope.” Hunter grumbled. “You’re so weird, I’m not even going to ask.”

Rivaille ignored him, continuing. “I can fix it, make you well, but it will take a while. Possibly hours.”

“Hours?” Hunter laughed, a little delirious. “Hours to fix something that’s been eating away at me for months? You make it sound like an inconvenience.”

“So you’re willing to let me help you? Even if it takes time?”

Hunter shrugged. “I don’t have anything better to be doing.”

The twerp almost sounded agreeable. He’d been so stubborn up till that point that Rivaille was shocked to hear him settle for something.

The raven let out a relieved breath. “Finally, you’re seeing reason.”

In his periphery, Rivaille saw Hunter shrug again.

“Never argue with a man whose teeth are sharper than your dog’s.” The brunet said simply.

Rivaille grinned. “You make a good point.”

 

Hunter led them into a hole-in-the-wall diner, somewhere well out of sight where the air sang with the smell of wholesome cooking. With how out of the way the place was, Rivaille had a feeling that Hunter was still feeling paranoid. They weren’t being followed, Rivaille would know about that in a second, but he was still silently proud of the brunet’s smart planning. Hunter seemed surprised when no one stopped them at the door. He was even more surprised when Rivaille led them straight to an empty table, sending a sharp glance around the room.

“What do you want to eat? Tell me.”

Hunter was slower to settle into a seat across from the raven, looking around like they might be asked to leave at any moment. “Uh…anything from here is good. It’s all fresh.”

He’d been here before, then. There was hope for the brat’s taste yet.

“Some of everything, then.” Rivaille murmured and his eyes flashed bright in the direction of one of the staff.

Hunter followed his gaze and stared owlishly as she began scribbling away on her notepad, writing an order for one of everything on the menu. No one seemed surprised by her sudden action, despite her not approaching any of the tables before she began writing. No one seemed to even notice.

Hunter sank down into his seat a little. “This is so creepy but so cool.”

He was looking around the place with wide eyes, like a child waiting for the magic veil to drop and reality to come crashing in. Even in his peripheral vision Rivaille could see the wonder on Hunter’s face.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” Rivaille muttered, still staring down the waitress. He maintained eye contact until she finished writing and delivered several little pages of her notepad to the kitchen, then he blinked away and back to Hunter. “Are you feeling up to eating after that little stint outside?”

Hunter blinked, like he’d forgotten completely about retching into more than one garden in the spans of a few hours.

“To be honest, not really.” He admitted, looking sheepish.

Rivaille had expected something of the sort after the events of the day. He leaned forward.

“Look at me. Don’t blink.” Rivaille focused his stare, silver eyes lighting up once more for a few long moments. He blinked and the light was gone again. “There, how about now? How do you feel?”

Hunter shuddered, frowning. “Kind of…starving? Whoa.” The brunet sat up. “No, seriously how? How are you doing that?”

Rivaille frowned right back at him. “It bothers me that you’re…unwell. When I find something that bothers me, I correct it. This is the same.”

Hunter made a face at him. “That’s one hell of a crummy answer.”

“It’ll have to do.”

“I thought you were going to explain stuff? So far you’re being vague as hell.”

“I’ll explain _important_ things.” Rivaille said to clarify. “You don’t need to know how I do what I do and there isn’t a way that I could explain it that you would understand at any rate. Even demons don’t ask the why and how of things. We just do. That’s our strength.”

Green eyes stared him down for several, long moments but finally Hunter seemed to give in.

“Alright, fine. Whatever.” He huffed, waving a hand to suggest that they move on. “You said you would tell me about who the heck you really are? Let’s start with that.”

It seemed like a good place to begin, and they had already agreed besides.

Rivaille nodded his consent.

“Very well. My name is Rivaille, as you know. I am an elite level demon, and that means that there isn’t a bully on the metaphorical playground I couldn’t destroy.”

Hunter smirked at that, a little disbelieving. “They have bullies in Hell?”

Rivaille waved a hand at himself in gesture. “You’re looking at one of its finest.”

The brunet gave a snort, nodding. “You sure look like it, it makes sense. Okay so…what do you even do?”

“Do?” Rivaille wrinkled his nose at the question. “I keep others on their toes and that keeps the peace, for the most part. Even Hell needs to be kept in order.”

Hunter nodded along as he tapped a finger against his chin, thinking it through.

“Through fear control?” He wondered aloud. “Whoever is the scariest one on the playing field makes the rules?”

He picked up things quickly, for a twerp.

Rivaille inclined his head, acknowledging that the brunet was right.

“It makes sense, doesn’t it?” The raven asked. “Fear is something that even my kind feel.”

“Even you?” Hunter said, knowing exactly how much of a shit he was being.

Rivaille didn’t so much as bat an eye.

“Is that supposed to be a trick question?” He drawled. “I know what fear is. I am afraid of things, however few in number they may be. Those who are not afraid are either lying to you or they’re lying to themselves.”

Hunter nodded again, clearing his throat. “But are you afraid _of something_ or afraid _for someone_?” He asked.

Not just a pretty face. Rivaille regretted the jibe now because Hunter hit the nail right on the head without even trying.

Rivaille didn’t answer, though he felt his silence was just as telling.

For a full minute Hunter was stunned into silence, his revelation apparently an accidental one.

“Wow.” The boy said finally. “I was just messing with you, but wow.”

Rivaille berated himself inwardly. Of all people, a goddamned teenager could get answers out of him? What was the world coming to?

Having his guard down was proving to be exactly as reckless as he’d suspected.

“Don’t think you’re so clever.” Rivaille bit out the words, cross with himself more than anything. “There isn’t a being in this universe that isn’t afraid of something.”

Of course Hunter was still caught up on his little revelation.

“Whoever they are, they must be lucky to have one of the biggest bads of Hell watching their back.” The boy murmured, then he leaned forward a little. “So what are you going to do about them?”

Rivaille’s eyes slitted in irritation. “When did this become about my personal life?”

“So it _is_ a personal thing? Got it.”

A growl escaped Rivaille, unbidden, but he didn’t put in any effort to rein it in. Hunter rolled his eyes, though he was visibly unnerved by the sound. The boy waved off their discussion.

“Sorry, my _bad_. You were telling me about how you run Hell or something?”

“Nobody runs Hell.” Rivaille lied through his teeth. “Demons don’t exactly have the same societies that you mortals stick to. It’s a kill or be killed world in the most literal sense.”

That part was the truth, one hundred percent.

“So you’re a murderer, basically?” Hunter finished for him.

Rivaille had met a lot of annoying creatures in his existence, but this one kid was proving to be the most infuriating twerp he’d ever chosen to keep alive.

“You really do have a way of painting people in the worst light.” The raven commented dryly.

“That’s not a no.” Hunter observed.

“ _Yes_ , I have killed.” Rivaille admitted with a meal scowl. “I will _again_ , of that I have no doubt. Does that make you feel better?”

“Uh, no?” Hunter said, looking at Rivaille like he thought the other was crazy.

“Then why did you ask?” The raven huffed, irritated.

“I was curious, geez. I wish I hadn’t asked now.” Hunter griped, flopping back in his seat and crossing his arms.

Rivaille smiled wryly. “You don’t think things through much, do you?”

“You make a lot of assumptions, don’t you?” The boy shot back immediately.

“Touché.” Rivaille conceded and they were at a conversational stalemate.

Again. The mood between them seemed to swing between almost friendly and biting insults in moments.

Or, Rivaille thought to himself, perhaps this was normal…

Hunter squirmed, trying for a more comfortable position where he was slouched.

“So…why are you being a non-murderer with me?” The brunet asked finally, still grumbling a bit. “Or are you just fattening me up so I’ll make a better snack later?”

“I’m _not_ going to eat you.” Rivaille said, aghast.

“No need to look so disgusted.” Hunter shot back, suddenly offended.

“It’s nothing like that, _trust me_.” Rivaille purposefully purred at him, just to watch the brunet wrinkle his nose.

“And we’re back to hella creepy, oh good. You know, because I was starting to miss the feeling of my skin crawling, thanks man.”

Rivaille snickered a little at the boy’s discomfort.

“I thought you were curious?” He teased. “Maybe it would interest you to hear that demons _love_ eating humans? You’re like little, walking hors d’oeuvres. Succulent morsels just waiting to be devoured.”

Hunter’s glare didn’t falter. “Sounds like somebody has a food kink.”

Rivaille’s eyebrows rose a little at the stubborn defiance, certain that his comment would have at least made Hunter pale a little.

“Strange.” He commented. “I thought you would have been more unnerved.”

Green eyes rolled and Hunter scoffed. “You said you weren’t going to eat me. Why should your food fetish concern me?”

“You’d be a lot less annoying if I ate you.” Rivaille muttered.

That had Hunter shoving upright in his seat, nostrils flaring in irritation. He slammed a hand on the table, glowering at Rivaille like he would punch him right in the face, demon super powers be damned.

“If you’re going to do it, _get it over with_.” Hunter growled. “Don’t you _dare_ keep it hanging over my head because I swear I will make your life just as miserable as you make mine. Consider it a promise.” He sat down in a huff, leaning back again and crossing his arms. “You either eat me or you don’t, but you figure it out _now_.”

Rivaille blinked in surprise, baffled by this boy threatening him.

He’d never felt a human so…unafraid of him. At least in that moment, Hunter was anything but afraid of Rivaille. He was angry at him. Furious, even, and unwilling to be held hostage by the fear that he might become a demon snack.

His outburst was a foolish one…and yet Rivaille felt…

He felt _proud_.

“I won’t eat you, I promise.” The raven said in a sombre tone, frowning across at Hunter like he was some complicated puzzle but he couldn’t have been more straightforward. “You have my word.”

That didn’t seem to impress the youth at all, as Hunter rolled his eyes. “I get the feeling that the word of a demon isn’t worth much.”

Rivaille tilted his head, smiling absentmindedly.

“You’d be right. But I’m trying to make it worth something to someone.” He narrowed his eyes, that faraway smile turning wry. “It will be good practice to keep my promises, even to an insolent mortal like you.”

Hunter just stared back at him, a picture of boredom. “Wow, I’m insolent _and_ I get to live anyway? It must be Christmas.”

“No,” Rivaille said, “but it is your lucky day.”

 

It didn’t take long for the first of the food to arrive. Rivaille watched on in amusement as Hunter kept a wary eye on the waitress who came and delivered plates without so much as a word or glance in their direction.

“If no one can see us, then won’t people find it a little weird that food is being put on an empty table?” The boy challenged.

“We’re not invisible.” Rivaille rolled his eyes, resting his chin atop his palm. “It’s more misdirection than anything else, just enough to turn the eye away and make us unnoticeable. You’re nothing more than a mirage now.”

“Hm. What about cameras? Can you fool those too?”

“I can fool whatever the human eye perceives. If they can see it, I can trick them into thinking otherwise.”

“So cool.”

Without another word, Hunter dug into his food.

“You having any?” The brunet inquired around his third mouthful.

Rivaille shook his head. “We’re not here for me. Eat. The faster, the better.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I’ve sped up a lot of your body’s processes; metabolism, self-repair, immune system.”

“Why would you do that?”

“It will make you well, although you’ll feel a little odd. That will pass, just keep eating until you can’t eat any more. I guarantee it will take longer than you think.”

Rivaille was right, of course. He kept a keen eye on the boy as minutes stretched into half an hour, then a full hour, and Hunter was still eating. The waitress under Rivaille’s influence continued to bring out meals, the food rich with vegetables and various meat. This place had been an excellent choice on Hunter’s part. After about the third full sized meal that he’d blown through, Hunter had stopped looking confused by his own appetite. There were weeks of malnutrition that Rivaille intended to mend and it took quite a lot of food to do that. Every nutrient was assigned to help with the repairs. Rivaille could see the slow but sure signs of health returning – the shadows under Hunter’s eyes faded gradually and the pale quality to his skin was also retreating.

A careful monitoring of Hunter’s scent revealed that his sickness was also being fought off. Good. Something told Rivaille that a Hunter in full health would be very capable of handling himself.

And Rivaille couldn’t hang around to take care of him forever.

Sooner or later Eren would call for him. It was bound to happen, even if the stubborn brunet would try to put it off for as long as possible. It was a clever tactic, letting Rivaille have free time in this world of the living to enjoy himself and no doubt quell the better part of Rivaille’s animosity towards Eren’s mate. Cheeky, clever little twerp.

Rivaille hoped he was okay.

As Hunter ate, Rivaille talked at him about demons. It all seemed to interest the boy, hearing about different abilities, their limited social gatherings, even a few summoning rituals. Rivaille didn’t think that Hunter would ever need to know how to summon a demon but, on the off chance he did, it would be best if he knew the correct proceedings. How to summon, when and where, how to ensure you have control over the creature that you’ve called out, and how to peacefully end any ties between the summoner and the summoned. Rivaille also explained the most important things to consider – one’s own limits. Never call a creature whose mental strength exceeds your own. Never perform a ritual that will physically weaken you, lest you leave yourself open to possession. _Never_ trust a creature that you have summoned.

Never share this information with anyone, for demons were always better off left in the Dying World.

Rivaille spoke about the few perks of demonhood, other than power. Immortality was the first. The second was the possibility of finding your fated, since there was countless time to search for them.

“What’s a fated?”

“A lifemate. Someone to share the eternity with.”

“Do you have someone like that?”

“I do.”

“How exactly do they put up with you?” Hunter asked around the enormous lettuce leaf he was trying to stuff into his mouth.

Rivaille felt the sting of that comment and allowed himself a bitter smile. “I tolerate a great deal from them, too. Call it a trade, though I believe my end of the deal was the least favourable.”

Hunter stopped eating at that, turning oddly serious.

“Someone always gets the better end of a bargain,” he said, frowning, “so you shouldn’t turn a relationship into one.”

Rivaille frowned back, confused. “What other strategy is there?”

At the very mention of strategy, Hunter let out a sound of annoyance.

“It’s not about strategy, geez.” He sighed, as if explaining something so someone who wasn’t thousands of years his senior. “You just give whatever you can give and take whatever you can get. The right person will be worth sticking around for, even chasing after.”

Rivaille blinked at the youth, wondering where the Hunter he had come to know had disappeared to. He seemed to have been replaced with a mature human being.

“You make a lot of sense for such a young person.” The raven observed, quiet and thoughtful.

Hunter shrugged. “Maybe I was just raised right, but some things aren’t hard to know.”

Rivaille sighed. Relationships, the romantic and unromantic kind, were all about give and take in his experience. And yet here was this boy telling him that would cripple his chances.

Take what you can get and give whatever you can give. Hunter suggested that would make things fair. There was no way to tell if all the parties in a relationship were giving equally, because no one ever had all the facts. Love could not be measured so easily. To some, spending even a minute in the presence of their loved ones was worth more than all the extravagance in the world.

It could never be a businesslike arrangement, because there was no way to determine if all parties were contributing equally. And it shouldn’t matter, so long as they all _tried_.

Effort and actions. That was what made love strong.

And yet, Rivaille struggled.

“There’s not so much choice when you find your fated.” He said finally, an answer to Hunter’s previous comment. “They’re made for you.”

“Huh?” The boy looked up, chewing fast and swallowing. “So what? If it’s not working, just find somebody else?”

Rivaille closed his eyes, exhaling. “I can’t.” He said, immediately cutting off the response he’d anticipated. “Don’t tell me that’s not true, I physically can’t. There’s pain, like you’re run through and left with a wound that will never heal. It fucks you up.”

Hunter was watching him with blatant shock written on his face when Rivaille looked up again.

“That sucks.” The brunet said. “You can’t choose who you’re going to love? That sounds awful.”

“I don’t want to find someone else.” Rivaille said with a shake of his head. “If I had to choose someone to love, I would have never picked anyone. I would never have even considered it because it’s not something I deserve, you don’t need to know why that is.”

Hunter looked a little dubious. “I don’t think you would be allowed to have a fated if you didn’t deserve someone to love you.”

The boy said it carefully, clearly sensing that the topic was somewhat of a sensitive one.

He was right.

Rivaille glowered at the table like he wanted it to burst into flames.

“You think I haven’t had that thought a hundred thousand times?” The raven replied, sounding bitter. It was self-directed, but no less intimidating. “It’s the reason I’m here, the reason I’m _trying_ because if it’s possible that anything could look at me and what I’ve done and then hand me that…damned frustrating little saint…and all but say, Rivaille, this is yours…” Rivaille shut his eyes with a hiss. “If that can still happen then I’ve got to get my shit together because he sure as _Hell_ doesn’t deserve to be landed with the likes of me again.”

There was a pause.

“Again?” Hunter echoed.

He looked confused when the raven looked up, the brunet’s curiosity melting away at the sudden eye contact. Rivaille’s expression must have done enough explaining for him because all Hunter did was sigh.

“Don’t ask. Got it.” He huffed, blowing air up through his hair. “So you like him, then? Your fated?”

“I don’t want someone else.” Rivaille repeated, something almost frantic in his eyes.

“So why are you complaining?” Hunter asked, and Rivaille could understand his confusion.

“Because… _he_ _does_.” The raven admitted, frowning the moment he said it. “I think he does, but I could never ask.”

“Uh…not to be predictable, but why the hell not? Hunter all but demanded, sounding almost like he was angry on Rivaille’s behalf now. Maybe he was just frustrated having to play counsellor for a demon. “That kind of sounds like something absolutely worth asking about.”

Rivaille wanted to be angry, but he had a feeling his anger wells were all dried up where Eren was concerned. He could be angry for the brunet. Angry about him.

Not angry at him, though. Not anymore. There was just a bone-deep acceptance that Rivaille wished had come centuries earlier. No matter the reasons behind his actions, they were not something that Eren should forgive him for. He’d hurt Eren, and he would probably never tell him why.

He took the role of monster and played it, now better than ever before.

Rivaille sounded despondent to his own ears when he next sighed, and he worried if he wasn’t broken more than usual these days.

“Even if he knew for sure, he wouldn’t tell me.” Rivaille huffed. “He wouldn’t want to, because it wouldn’t be something he could ever take back.”

Hunter was quiet, sieving through a hundred and one things he might say in response to that.

“So…so you’re stuck together?” The boy spoke, picking probably the more neutral response of the choices in his head.

The silver-eyed demon offered him a shrug, looking lost. “It was meant to happen. Not everyone has a fated, but when you do have one…you’re meant to be.”

“Like a soulmate?”

Rivaille grimaced at the term, like he was personally offended by it. He didn’t offer any sort of argument, though.

Hunter hummed thoughtfully. “So once you’ve found them, that’s it? They’re the one for you?” He asked, taking another mouthful of food like he’d only just remembered he was supposed to be eating. He was still chewing as he answered, but Rivaille couldn’t be bothered to tell him how disgusting he was. “That doesn’t sound so bad. Pretty convenient if you ask me.”

“Tell that to my fated, would you?” Rivaille grumbled, glaring at the tabletop again.

“What, does he full on hate you or something?” Hunter asked around another mouthful, having the nerve to scoff. “Not that I’d be surprised to hear it or anything.”

Choosing to let that comment slide, Rivaille shrugged again.

“We disagree a lot.” He admitted.

“About the other person?” Hunter frowned when Rivaille tried to ask what he meant. “Let’s not kid ourselves here. There’s someone else and that’s the real problem here, isn’t it.” Not a question. “He knows it, you know it, now all that’s left to do is figure out what’s going to happen.”

Rivaille wondered what might have happened had this little upstart been the Eren he had met that day. How differently might things have gone.

He dismissed the thought easily, for that wasn’t the issue.

“He deserves to be happy.” Rivaille said, and he meant it.

He just didn’t know what to do about it.

“And you don’t make him happy?” Hunter asked, the wheels obviously turning in his head though who knew what conclusions he would come up with.

“Not always.” Rivaille chose to simply answer, wondering where the brunet was going.

“Not always means sometimes.” Hunter hummed. “And this other person…do they make him happy all the time?”

No, no they didn’t. Rivaille could feel Eren’s concerns for his human pet. There was the fear of Levi’s mortality. A bigger concern for what Rivaille might do to him if they were ever introduced. A thousand other worries that bogged Eren down.

Still, Levi didn’t make Eren want to scream with relived memories just by looking at him.

“More than me.” Rivaille admitted. “Like I said…we tend to argue, to fight.”

“Uh, so does every couple to have ever existed.” Hunter said with a roll of his eyes. “Even the perfect ones. _Especially_ the perfect ones.”

“We’re far from perfect.”

“Newsflash, genius: no one is perfect.” Hunter said, probably the sternest that Rivaille had ever heard him sound. “No one has been, no one ever _will_ be. Perfection is a load of crap. But if you’re fated to each other, then…that’s something, right? That’s not nothing. I feel like there would be a reason to bring two people together like that. You’ve each got something that the other doesn’t?”

Rivaille could think of a hundred things Eren had that Rivaille was lacking. Hell, he could even think of things that they had in common.

But…then there was also Levi. What did Levi have that Eren needed so badly?

How about everything? A strength that Rivaille clearly didn’t have, for he seemed to be managing with Eren’s… _decisions_. Bravery that was borderline insane, since he could cuddle up to a demon at night and didn’t worry about becoming dinner. And clearly, all the love that Eren needed.

And yet Eren still came back. Why, _WHY_ , would he do that?

Pity, probably.

“I don’t know what I have that he doesn’t.” Came the depressing answer, after an equally depressing silence.

Surprisingly Hunter just tilted his head and sent Rivaille an oddly knowing look.

“Which _he_ are we talking about now?”

Rivaille sat a little straighter, his eyes wide for a brief moment.

This _kid_. Was he a mind reader or just a genius?

He was neither…just a person who obviously didn’t like problems that weren’t being solved, whether they were his own problems or not.

“How can you tell so much?” Rivaille asked him anyway, feeling no small amount of awe.

Hunter shrugged. “I listen.” Was what he said and for some reason it made Rivaille hurt.

Rivaille knew about listeners. They could be trouble, but they were all created from the same thing. Every single one of them listened so well because they were used to being ignored.

The people who listen know the value of being listened to.

Rivaille didn’t mention it. He didn’t want to make Hunter relive anything painful, because he shouldn’t have to. Not when he was trying so hard to help. To be of use to some fiend he had just met.

Hunter may have been a brat, but he was also a good kid.

As long as Rivaille could move and think, he would see to it that no one ever laid a harmful hand on Hunter again.

“So, what?” Hunter was still talking, still working out Rivaille’s problems aloud. “You think you can’t meet this other guy’s standards? Or you honestly think that your fated doesn’t need anything from you?”

“He was doing okay before I came along.”

“I say bullshit to that.” Hunter said, and even as a human he sounded like someone not to be trifled with. “I’m no expert, but _fate_ implies that it’s like this for a reason.”

“What reason?” Rivaille asked, and he wasn’t used to feeling so hopeless.

His interruption was not appreciated, but Hunter let it pass with a glare.

“There will be something.” The brunet said, and in his suddenly kind eyes Rivaille caught glimpses of a memory. A woman with Eren’s face, or Hunter’s face? Hunter’s mother? Her kindness shone through this boy. “And you know what? Maybe right now, your fated needs something from this other guy? You said things weren’t simple. Maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s more complicated than any of us could know on our own, but let me tell you this. There will be something that _only you_ can give your fated. Even if it’s something he doesn’t like, one day he’ll need it. And you’ll be there.” Hunter sat back in his seat with a sniff, looking a lot more like himself as he added. “Well you’d better be there. I’d be pissed if you weren’t so I can imagine how he would feel.”

“You make it sound much nicer than it’s been in practice.”

“Maybe that’s all of your faults, then.” Hunter said and he offered a shrug, flexing his fingers as if in gesture. “Fix it.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Make it that simple, dude.” The brunet said sharply, clearly unimpressed. “Don’t just keep blurting out excuses, do something about it.”

“I am.”

“Do _more_.”

It wasn’t a suggestion. It was Hunter’s solution, his honest advice. Hunter looked into what Rivaille would share about his problems and tossed back an answer, like it was nothing. Like their problems were stupid and the solutions obvious.

“Work it out. Be there. Do more.” Rivaille let go of a breath, wondering if the universe was laughing at him or doing him a favour in throwing this boy his way. “I’ll do my best.”

That, finally, seemed to be what Hunter wanted to hear.

He nodded. “Good, because whoever he is, he deserves your best. Every day.”

Rivaille raised an eyebrow. “And what about me?”

Even he couldn’t deny that he’d sounded bitter.

Hunter just rolled his eyes, shaking his head at Rivaille like he was some toddler trying to make a valid argument by waving crayon scribbles in his face.

“You deserve his best, too.” Hunter admitted, which surprised the raven. Hunter held his gaze, serious once more. “But don’t make it about you, or you’ll never be able to make it about _him_.”

And for once in his life, Rivaille didn’t have a single snarky remark to make. He sat back, staring at the table between them like it might come to his defence or provide some answers. The wood remained silent.

Rivaille let out a single, disbelieving laugh.

“You should do this for a living.” He told the boy, watching Hunter smirk to himself.

“You think so?” The brunet asked around yet another mouthful of food, remembering his appetite. “I’ll take that into consideration,” Hunter said, twirling a fork idly and still smirking, “maybe I’d make a decent shrink?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I mention before that I love Hunter? Because I do, I love how he handles himself and everyone else. I wish he was my life counsellor.


	62. Behind Green Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rivaille discovers he'd make an epic, if frightening, fairy godmother.

 

 

They lapsed into silence after that. The noise of the diner enveloped them, cheery noises, conversational chatter, and the sounds from the kitchen filling the quiet that stretched on between the two.

Hunter had resumed eating, observant enough to know that Rivaille didn’t want to talk about whatever was on his mind. The boy worked his way through the plates that had accumulated at their table, shovelling food down his throat so fast that it was unlikely he was tasting much of it. But the purpose of going there in the first place hadn’t been to please the tastebuds. Hunter needed to eat and eat fast so that Rivaille’s influence could help his body repair itself.

That seemed to be going fine.

The sickness was gone. It had been a gradual thing, but Rivaille’s senses were keen enough to notice the difference. Hunter’s scent was less troubling now that all he needed was to bulk up a little. It was a relief to know that, sooner rather than later, the boy would be back to good health.

With that concern out of the way for the most part, Rivaille turned his thoughts inwards and reflected on Hunter’s words.

For a brat, he made a lot of…strangely unbiased arguments.

In particular, Rivaille wondered about what Hunter had mentioned of Eren’s needs. As they were fated to each other, Hunter had assumed that meant they each had something to offer. Something to complete the other. It made a lot of sense, particularly if they were going to be together for a considerable amount of time; namely eternity. If Eren allowed it. For that to happen, they had to fit together in some way.

Rivaille didn’t know what he had that Eren lacked, but he would make it his mission to find out.

Then there had been the mention of Eren searching for something he lacked that Rivaille couldn’t give him. And that was where Levi came into play. The fact that Eren was so attached to Levi meant that there was something there he wasn’t willing to let go of. Levi had something that soothed Eren in some way. Something domestic, Rivaille suspected. The soft, languid life that he could never have led with his fated in their abominable world. A life filled with interacting with one’s neighbours instead of eating them, of home and friends.

And Eren had taken Rivaille’s home with him here, even if neither of them would have imagined it that way.

Could Rivaille return to Hell? Of course he could. He could go back and never set foot in this world of gentle sunshine and mortals ever again and he could live with that decision until the end of time.

But Hell would never be home.

Rivaille supposed that Eren would choose between them eventually, one or the other.

Or maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe they would be at this awful game, back and forth, over and over again until Levi was old, then frail, then dead.

Or maybe…Eren would do something stupid.

With how much magic he’d been using to clog up their bond in the past few days, Rivaille suspected that Eren had already done something fairly stupid. He would find out what. Eventually.

Until then he would ponder this problem. He didn’t want to share Eren, but he had been forced to do so for a while now. And it made the twerp happy.

It confused the hell out of Rivaille. Eren didn’t want to let him rot in Hell, apparently, but he also couldn’t bring himself to abandon his human beau. Things were, in a word, complicated.

Unless Rivaille just bit the bullet and ate Levi, then all of Eren’s needs could be traced to the one person. All of the complexity of the both of them, rolled into one. It would be an easy solution. Probably less easy to adapt to, and it would probably be uncomfortable fitting in all that extra personality. Rivaille couldn’t remember the last demon he’d met that had managed to eat their human reflection, but he had a strange feeling about it. Like the very idea unnerved him.

Eren would probably not forgive him for it entirely.

Knowing Eren, he would already be suspecting Rivaille to pull that exact kind of stunt.

There was no way Rivaille was going to be able to get near Levi. Not even if Eren had to take Rivaille on himself, because he would without a second thought and the raven knew that. He knew Eren had more than just a temporary fixation on this human of his.

It was why the human’s presence bothered him so much.

Rivaille had been frowning at the table for so long that he didn’t notice Hunter was eating a lot slower.

“I think whatever you were trying to pull off is working.” Hunter’s voice startled Rivaille after so much silence between them and the raven looked over to find Hunter staring at him. “I couldn’t tell you how many meals I have just eaten because I lost track at around nine, but I’m pretty sure I’m getting full.”

The raven regarded Hunter and, true to his word, the boy was eating a lot less frantically than he had been before. His rate of food consumption was almost entirely back to normal.

“That’s a good sign.” Rivaille said, already stealing a glance over at the waitress who had been bringing Hunter’s meals.

They wouldn’t be needing any more food if Hunter wasn’t going to be able to eat it. No point in wasting this woman’s time any longer without reason. The woman paused in her trip to the kitchen, blinking as if dazed. With a shake of her head, she carried on as if nothing had even happened and returned to her regular duties.

Hunter let go of a sigh, sounding winded but that was probably because he’d just eaten more than he would ever eat in one sitting ever again.

“So I’m…I’m going to be good now?” The brunet asked.

“The fact that your body is telling you you’re full is because my magic is wearing off.” Rivaille explained. “It had a job, to make you well again, and that job is done. No more super digestion.”

Hunter gave a grateful sigh. “Thank God, because that felt weird. Tingly weird, and I don’t mean the bad kind of tingly but it wasn’t the good kind of tingly either. Weird.” He repeated.

Rivaille just shook his head. “You’re welcome, twerp.”

“Thanks.” Hunter said then, taking Rivaille by surprise. “You’re the weirdest fairy godmother ever, but thanks.”

The boy offered him a somewhat shaky smile, probably still unsure how grateful he should be to a demon of all things. Knights in shining armour didn’t seem to exist anywhere. Not even here. The best a kid could hope for was that some sour-faced trickster would come sauntering along to drag them off on a spontaneous adventure.

Threats and free food weren’t exactly the best offer in the world, Rivaille knew.

Still, Hunter had accepted. It had taken him trying to beat Rivaille up, if unsuccessfully, to get the boy to agree to accompany him but still…to accept at all…

You had to have pretty low standards to give in like that. Either that or Hunter wasn’t the sort of person to pass up a clearly worthwhile opportunity.

But Rivaille was betting on the first option.

“There is something I would like to ask you.” The raven said after a moment of watching Hunter stack the now-empty plates into a pile.

Hunter looked up at him in surprise, but he didn’t seem to reject the idea of talking.

“Yeah, shoot.” He said.

“You’ve heard from me.” Rivaille started, choosing his words with care. “I’ve told you…enough about myself, about demons. Anything more would be far too complicated.”

Hunter raised an eyebrow. “That’s not really a question. And I thought you said things were already complicated?”

“They are and they don’t need to get any more confusing.” And now, to the point. “But, seeing as I gave you some answers…will you tell me what’s happened to you if I ask?”

That got Hunter’s suspicions back up and the brunet leaned back in his seat. He looked defensive all of a sudden, but not angry. Not surprised.

“That could either be super vague or super specific.” The brunet said.

Rivaille just looked at him. “I think you know what I mean.”

People didn’t end up on the street for no reason.

Hunter scowled, but the expression was weary.

“I still don’t get why you want to know.” He grumbled, picking at his jumper sleeve. “It seems a bit out of place for some all-powerful demon to give a crap about some kid they just met.”

Rivaille shook his head.

“You’re connected to something a lot bigger than you know, so believe me when I say that it’s important to me that I know all the details. It’s…an insurance policy. A personal investment, if you will?”

Hunter frowned. “Connected to what, exactly?”

Again, Rivaille shook his head. “Far better that you don’t know.”

“If I’m a part of something, I kind of _want_ to know.”

“I said that you were connected to it, not that you had a part to play.” The raven said, sighing. “It’s a dangerous world and you’re barely skirting the edges.”

That just seemed to confuse Hunter more. He threw his hands in the air, a gesture of frustration, and fell back in his seat with a huff.

“So then why are you asking about me if I’m not important to this grand-scheme-of-things BS? Does it really matter?”

“I spared you for a reason,” Rivaille emphasised, casting a troubled glance at the floor, “but I don’t yet know what that reason was. In time it will become clear but until that time I will keep you as safe as I can.”

“Thanks. Big help.”

“Don’t be so discourteous.” Rivaille snapped. “I don’t waste time on just any street brats, so quit your pouting. The fact that you remind me of someone else could have been easily overlooked. Clearly you’re important in some way or I would have felt no need to keep you alive.” He sighed. “What I am saying is that you are one of fate’s little secrets, something that could make or break this great game in the end. I simply don’t know how or why.”

Hunter grumbled but he seemed a little less offended.

“You didn’t answer my question before.” Rivaille reminded the boy, eyes slitted curiously. “Will you tell me what happened? Or, I should say will you show me?”

“Show you…” Hunter repeated, pulling a face that suggested he had a bad feeling about the whole ordeal. “Why do I feel like you’re about to pull some bogus demon mumbo jumbo on me?”

“All you need to do is look at me.” Rivaille hoped that his tone was calm, for he didn’t want to panic Hunter beforehand. “I’ll take care of everything else, you won’t have to tell me anything for me to find out what I want to know.”

“You gonna read my mind?” Hunter asked, arms folded.

He didn’t look too happy about the possibility.

“I suppose you could look at the process that way.” Rivaille admitted tonelessly.

“Creepy.” Hunter accused, then sighed and shrugged. “But kind of cool, I guess. And I guess we’re doing this right now?”

“Only if you’re willing,” Rivaille said, the words feeling odd on his tongue, “and I don’t say that often.”

“Yikes.” Hunter’s eyebrows rose up, but he didn’t look all that surprised. “Well I appreciate your honesty…I think. I don’t see what the hell you’ll get out of knowing but if it’ll get you off my case then go for it.”

Hunter sat up straight, waiting quietly to be told what he needed to do.

Rivaille motioned him forwards, leaning across the table as well so that he could more easily meet the boy’s eyes.

“Hold still.” Rivaille instructed. “Try not to blink, it’ll be easier once the connection has been established.”

Hunter frowned a little, immediately blinking. “So how much is this going to hurt?”

“That depends.” Rivaille huffed.

“On what?”

“On how much you annoy me and how much I want it to hurt.” The raven grumbled.

Hunter rolled his eyes. “Geez.”

“Just relax, keep quiet, and keep your eyes fixed on mine.” Rivaille instructed. He held up a clawed fingers in front of Hunter’s face, moving that finger in front of his own eyes to bring the brunet’s focus there. “You’re going to feel…a bit of a headache coming on. Ignore it. It’ll be over before you know it.”

“Thanks for the head’s up.”

“Hush.”

It wasn’t hard to find his way through Hunter’s mind with the invitation. That always made things easier. Hunter didn’t try to hide anything, not shying away from the memories Rivaille sorted through.

He didn’t really know what he was looking for.

A tipping point. Some time in Hunter’s life where normality had ceased to exist for him. A reason why the boy would choose to leave a regular life behind and sleep on the sidewalk.

Without knowing how far back to check, Rivaille skimmed through from the start.

The first of Hunter’s memories were foggy and stupidly endearing. He’d been a chubby baby, tiny and round and healthy. He’d probably given his poor mother a heart attack on the way out, but all Hunter’s experiences as a newborn seemed happy. Mostly he chewed on things, drooled everywhere, cried. The typical, kind of gross behaviour of any offspring.

Nothing out of the ordinary there.

There didn’t appear to be any siblings as Rivaille continued onwards, finding toddler Hunter to be hilarious. Always trying to do more than his wobbly legs and clumsy hands could manage. Frowning in determination and, when success occurred, smiling so brightly it almost hurt to look at. And doing stupid things like munching on crayons or wondering what the glue paste tasted like. Or getting the idea in his head that brushing his teeth with soap was better than toothpaste, both of which tasted nasty but the soap proved worse.

Hunter grew up. Hunter went to school and made friends and got into stupid fights defending said friends.

He was a good kid. Normal.

And then, right towards the end of Hunter’s memories as they got towards the last few months…there it was.

Rivaille found it. The first day things started to go wrong in Hunter’s world.

 

 

_It was morning. Sunny outside, a beautiful day beaming in through a window left open to fend off the heat of the previous night._

_Hunter was dragged from sleep by sunlight on his face. He extracted himself from a tangle of bedsheets and blankets thrown towards his feet during the night. The brunet heaved himself upright, making his way groggily towards the bathroom. He bent over the sink, splashing icy tap water in his face. The cold would help wake him up. He wasn’t a morning person unless there was somewhere specific to be with something specific to do._

_It had been a sleeping in sort of day, and Hunter was left bleary-eyed and unmotivated to wake up quickly._

_That was probably why he didn’t notice immediately that something was off._

_Hunter dried his face with a handtowel, groaning at an headache that threatened to take over. When he finally looked at the mirror to assess the damage of a somewhat restless night, Hunter stiffened._

_The towel slipped from his grasp, landing on his bare feet._

_The silvery glass before him showed the bathroom and all its contents; the shower, the stupid floral tile patterns his mom had picked out, the bath, the window, the stupid tower of toilet paper…_

_But not Hunter._

_Where he should have been standing, staring back at himself, there was nothing but the wall behind him and the door left mostly open._

_Hunter tried moving closer to the glass. He tried moving further away, around, higher, lower…anything to make his image appear on the silvery surface._

_Nothing, not so much as a ripple of movement._

_Hunter leaned towards the door, gripping the frame and calling over his shoulder._

_“…mom? Mom, I think my mirror’s…broken?”_

_If this was one of his friends’ stupid pranks, he was going to be pissed._

_It wasn’t a prank. His mirror wasn’t broken, either. The silver glass functioned exactly as it should have when Hunter’s mother made her way upstairs to her son’s bedroom. He dragged her into the bathroom, stood her in front of the mirror, and stood gawking at what he saw. A reflection. Just not_ his _reflection. Hunter was stunned to discover that his mom showed up perfectly in the mirror like she should have, but her son remained without a reflection._

_It was beyond weird._

_His mother thought so too. The both of them stared at the anomaly for long, silent moments._

_Trying to play off his own concern, Hunter’s first response had been to joke at his mother that he wasn’t a vampire. She’d at least had the decency to laugh, even if it was a concerned laugh._

_Hunter’s father had been…less amused._

_He hadn’t shouted, hadn’t said a single word when an anxious Hunter and his mother had explained the confusing situation. Then they showed him. Hunter remembered being dragged through every room, stood in front of every surface that could hold a reflection, like it was all some big joke he’d planned. Despite his own growing worry, that apparently counted for nothing._

Don’t panic _, Hunter had told himself._

_He’d panicked a little anyway, his head full of worried thoughts rushing about like a swarm of agitated bees._

This is weird, this is really weird, but there’ll be a reason. There’s always some kind of explanation for stupid, seemingly impossible bullshit.

Don’t freak out, man.

_Hunter told himself that over and over again. He shouldn’t panic. There would be an explanation._

_No one had any answers, though._

_Theories came in plenty as word of Hunter’s ‘condition’ made its way around the neighbourhood. Vampire was obvious, if stupid since Hunter could still walk outside and not get cravings to tear people’s throats out with his face. Some were kind enough to think he was some sort of practicing magician. Not many, though. Wraith, demon, freak. Suddenly he was abnormal. An outcast._

_Paranoia was a strong thing. Things that didn’t make sense were scary. It wasn’t fun not to know what was going on, not to understand._

_Hunter knew that, he was just as freaked out as everyone else._

_Funnily enough that didn’t seem to matter to many people anymore._

_Hunter supposed it would have happened sooner or later. Caught up in the confusion of his situation, he honestly hadn’t expected that betrayal would come from within his own family._

_One night, after he’d retired to his room to stress over things in peace and quiet, Hunter heard his parents talking._

_It sounded serious even through his closed door so he crack it open, mindful not to let it squeak. He didn’t want to give himself away. Hunter sat himself down against the wall. Right next to the door, he sat and listened for what his folks were talking about. They sounded…stressed. Upset, even._

_It had to have been about him, then. About all this mirror crap._

_He knew listening in wasn’t something to be proud of…but it was for the best that he heard what was said._

_“We should get him tested.” Hunter heard his father say, immediately setting off alarm bells in his head._

_“For what?” His mother sounded exasperated, tired just like Hunter was._

_At least someone was on his side._

_“Anything. Everything!” His dad continued. “Wouldn’t you rather know that your son isn’t a freak?”_

_“Hunter doesn’t like waiting around. He can’t sit still to save his life, you think he’ll be able to deal with the kind of dedication it would take to research this sort of thing? You think he’ll be able to sit in a chair or on a table while people take whatever they claim to need from him? It might not even be something they can test!”_

_“We need to do something.”_

_“It’ll ruin him.”_

_“People are talking around here, dear. And it’s not about the weather, it’s about what’s wrong with our boy.”_

_“There’s_ nothing _wrong with him.” Hunter heard his mom growl out the words and his eyes stung all of a sudden._

_Even though she was scared, his mom stood up for him._

_“We can have this argument if you want, but I’ve already had several calls. I’ve arranged to take Hunter to meet a specialist.”_

_A specialist? Hunter frowned, not liking the sound of that._

_His mom didn’t lie when she said he couldn’t handle sitting around and the thought of having to go into some strange office and be asked countless questions already had him on edge. What if they already knew something about his condition? What if it was something serious and he would be quarantined? Subjected to a lifetime of testing? Put into a coma?_

_“On what planet do they have specialists for when you don’t appear in mirrors?” His mother was saying downstairs. “If you say Transylvania, even as a joke, I will slap you. There is nothing wrong with Hunter. This isn’t his fault.”_

_“It doesn’t matter whose fault it is. What matters is that we_ do something _about it and see if there’s a solution.”_

_“If you take him anywhere and they see what’s going on, there’s only one way it’s going to go. They’ll tell you he’s dangerous. They’ll say they have proof…and we’ll never see our little boy again.”_

_Hunter couldn’t listen after that._

_There were other arguments. Other fights. Hunter had unwittingly become something unknown, alienated from even his family._

_His mother begged him not to leave, knowing her son too well._

_At the first sign of violence from his father, Hunter left, specialists and tests be damned. He knew well enough when to tell that a family wasn’t working. Home wasn’t safe. It was likely that there would never be a truly safe place for him ever again. After an explosive shouting match with his dad over the whole testing issue, Hunter had left with one side of his face still stinging from the slap he felt he hadn’t deserved. He’d climbed right out his bedroom window after pretending to storm up to his room to hide. That would distract them for a while. Long enough for him to get the hell away._

_His biggest regret was not saying goodbye to his mom._

_The brunet had few friends left who wouldn’t rat him out, but he bunked with those who would at least give him the courtesy of leaving their house again before they called his parents._

_After only days it got too risky to stay with friends. His father had showed up to almost every house Hunter could have hidden out at and by that point he was starting to freak out._

_He was sleeping out behind a furniture store that very night, hidden from sight in a stack of mangled moving boxes. Cardboard wasn’t exactly warm, but it was better than nothing._

_Then_ they _started to show up._

_The so-called specialists. They were even more persistent in getting their hands on him than Hunter’s mother had predicted. At the first signs of crosses and rosary beads, Hunter knew he was mixed up in some truly twisted shit._

_So he ran. And ran and ran._

 

 

It was the faces that Rivaille was after. He memorised each and every one, feeling anger stirring in his gut.

Every last person who had done Hunter wrong was committed to memory. He would figure out what to do about them…later.

Rivaille didn’t miss a moment of the journey, of this boy’s lonely wandering through the streets. Hunter had been smart, going far from home. Sneaking onto night buses, grateful of the crummy, flickering lights that hid his odd condition. Stumbling into new cities, he was as alone as ever. Hiding from everyone, because no one could be trusted when they would assume he was some kind of freak the moment he didn’t appear on a reflective surface. And with people out there now looking for exactly that, not a single person could be trusted. No matter how much he’d needed a friend.

Sometimes his reflection would come back for a while. The first time it had happened, Hunter had been overjoyed, thinking that maybe his troubles were over. That hope had been crushed the moment his reflection abandoned him again later.

It had taken Rivaille a second to realise what had happened.

He would need to have a word with Eren about the demon boy’s actions. Or maybe that would be too telling…well, Rivaille would deal with the problem on his own. He felt he owed it to this human to correct the mistakes of his mate.

Hunter’s life had been about finding food and not freezing to death since he’d fled his home.

Right up until the point where he’d woken up to Rivaille choking out one of the scumbags following the boy. Their awful introduction. It was at that point that Rivaille let himself ease away from Hunter’s memories. He didn’t need to see anything past that point, even if he was curious to know what Hunter’s honest, unguarded thoughts about him were. He ignored the curiosity. Rivaille stopped rifling through memories, letting the images fade and a peaceful quiet emerge. He let Hunter grow accustomed to the feeling of another presence in his head. Trying for an easy transition back into his own mind, the raven handed back control to Hunter gradually. It wouldn’t be painless. It never was. Rivaille was as gentle as he could be, regardless.

The raven blinked, breaking their connection.

He watched Hunter wince when he had control over himself again, immediately frowning at the dull throbbing that took over his head. The kid looked tired, no doubt drained by the experience.

“Okay, ow.” The boy said, hands coming up to press at various spots on his face like that could make the aching stop.

“It’ll pass.” Rivaille said, feeling like apologising would be useless. “Try to ignore the pain if you can, it goes away quicker when you’re distracted.”

Hunter aimed a weak glare at him, but he didn’t seem mad.

“So are you satisfied now?” Hunter asked.

Rivaille knew he was using conversation to distract from his headache, as instructed. Clever kid.

“Satisfied is not a word I would apply to what I’m feeling right now, no.” Rivaille answered him honestly. “But I’m glad to understand your situation.”

Hunter blinked, frowning. “You understand it?”

“Naturally you saw what I went looking for, though it wasn’t what I’d expected to find.” The raven stated.

Hunter had been there, conscious, throughout the whole process. He would have noticed the memories that Rivaille fixated on, looking for details instead of just skimming through.

“My reflection.” Hunter scowled. “You know why I don’t have one, don’t you?”

“I know why you don’t have it.” Rivaille answered with a nod. “I know the person responsible and to be honest I’m surprised. He’s normally so meticulous about these things…”

Although Rivaille was acutely aware of exactly how _distracted_ Eren had been since coming to Earth. How could he forget about something like this? One of the most basic rules? One on each side: reflection. Both on the same side: no reflection. It didn’t get any simpler than that. Even Rivaille had made sure not to remove Levi’s reflection when he’d come through and all it took was a little careful enchantment.

Maybe he should drop that spell altogether and see if it bothered Eren’s precious pet? Perhaps then Eren would think about how his own reflection had been coping thanks to his negligence?

Best not to do anything _rash_ , Rivaille thought.

It would be alright. The damage was done in Hunter’s case and there was no reversing that. Rivaille’s concealing spell would keep the boy safe for now. There was no reason for him to become angry or obsessive about this without being able to correct it properly.

Rivaille was brought back into the present by Hunter’s voice.

“So you’re saying that my life got screwed over because of someone else’s mistake?” He asked. The brunet gave a tired sounding chuckle at Rivaille’s silence. “Figures.”

“What’s done cannot be undone.” Rivaille said solemnly. “But you will be safe from now on. No one can cause you trouble when they can’t see you.”

“You’ll keep me invisible?”

“Unnoticeable.” Rivaille corrected. “It will be lonely, but you won’t have to live like a shadow.”

Hunter looked like he had questions, but all he did was nod.

“I’m guessing I’ll be finding my own way from here?”

Rivaille felt a twinge of discomfort pulling at his chest, worry and something sad weighing there heavily.

“I will have to leave,” he said, nodding, “but not just yet. Come, we should go. There’s still the matter of finding you somewhere to stay, after all.”

He pretended not to notice the relief on Hunter’s face, in much the same way as the boy tried to play it off himself.

Rivaille was on his feet easily, already heading for the door when Hunter cleared his throat.

“Uh…are we not going to pay for that?”

The raven cast a curious glance at the boy over his shoulder. “Do I look like I have any human currency?”

“Man, you demons sure are cheap.”

“I don’t see you paying for anything either.” Rivaille challenged, then shrugged. “Besides, if you could get away with absolutely anything, would you bother with trivial things like money?”

Hunter laughed, of all things. “It’s official, that’s the worst thing you’ve said so far.” He was smirking though, shaking his head as he caught up to the raven and they headed for the door. “You’d make an awful philanthropist.”

“I don’t know about that; I took you on as a charity case.”

“Rude.” The brunet scoffed, but Hunter’s next expression was surprisingly open and he paused before they’d actually left the diner. “Thank you. Seriously, man, I don’t know why you wanted to help me but thank you.”

Rivaille had paused with him and he sent the human a weary look.

“I told you _why_.”

“I reminded you of someone?” Hunter raised an eyebrow. “Sure, sure. That’s what makes people do stupidly nice things for ratbags living in cardboard and trash.”

“It doesn’t sound as crazy as you think it does.” Rivaille said. “And besides, I’m not people.”

Hunter gave a little half-smile. “Well if all demons were as decent as you, maybe Hell wouldn’t be such a bad place.”

Rivaille bit back the urge to laugh. Instead he offered a wry smirk.

“You think I’m decent? That’s sweet of you, but you couldn’t be more wrong.”

Hunter shrugged. “I call it as I see it. You’re a bit weird, a bit creepy, and definitely a bit probably murder-y but you helped me out for no good reason.”

“You sound almost grateful.”

“Har har. Thank you, jackass.”

It was a nice moment. A little banter, a sign that they could get on even through their arguments and disagreements.

As if sensing the moment couldn’t last, the wind picked up suddenly. It brought with it a unique scent.

A scent that Rivaille hadn’t been expecting…and yet he had. Rivaille’s head snapped up, eyes white for a spilt second as they burned in recognition of the presence waiting for him in the area. He felt the call he’d been waiting for, a tug in his guts that demanded he move.

He’d allowed himself to become distracted.

The raven met Hunter’s eyes, watching the brunet become startled but the boy never got a chance to speak. Rivaille beat him to the punch.

“ _Stay here. Don’t argue_.” He instructed, though Hunter never saw the raven’s mouth move – the words made their home in his head. “ _Keep your head down and don’t move until I get back_.”

Before Hunter could so much as blink, the air around Rivaille crackled and he was gone.

 

The pull led Rivaille several blocks away and he was grateful for that. Eren hadn’t come directly to him. He’d made the raven seek him out, knowing Rivaille wouldn’t deny his call for a second but wanting to make him work for his company too.

Good. It meant that Hunter was safe, not revealed as Rivaille had initially worried.

He didn’t know how Eren would respond to the sight of his fated acting so familiarly around his reflection. Eren would suspect some sort of foul play. Some petty vengeance scheme. It would make sense, given the raven’s track record. He was jealous of Levi, so it would be no huge leap to assume that he would do something to try and win back Eren’s attention.

Best to avoid the whole situation. It looked bad in any case Rivaille could think to try and explain it.

He focused on following the pull, coming to stand in a quiet spot behind a restaurant. The back of the building was lined with dumpsters. Not the most classy place to meet, but no one would ever know that they had been there.

No sign of Eren yet, though Rivaille could feel him there.

Eren was masking his presence…and heavily. Rivaille was surprised that he couldn’t see where Eren was hiding at all using plain vision, and he didn’t really want to cheat and seek out where the majority of the magic was concentrated. Clearly Eren was still wary. Probably still upset that Rivaille had crossed into this world without expressly saying he would. Still, Eren had called him there for a reason.

He wanted to talk.

The silver-eyed demon paced several steps along the concreted ground, turning and retracing those few steps. He repeated the pattern, eyes flicking around lazily. Waiting for Eren to appear to him.

“You took your time.” Rivaille said to the air, wondering when his fated would reveal himself. “Here I was beginning to feel ignored, but I knew you’d come eventually.”

“ _I never asked you to come here_.” Eren growled out the words.

Even if he hadn’t used his true voice Rivaille would have known where he was. The otherworldly vibrations only helped the raven. His ears pinpointed the precise spot. It was an overwhelming effort on his part not to stalk right over to where he knew Eren was poised, balanced atop some cheap wooden fencing. Shrouded by concealing magic. Even without being able to see him, Rivaille felt a little better knowing where he was.

Rivaille smiled to himself. “But here I am, having gotten you and your precious pet out of a tight spot. No need to thank me.”

Silence was his answer. Rivaille got the feeling that Eren had moved.

The space in front of him shimmered and the air sizzled with energy suddenly, a plume of smoke rushing from the ground. From the smoke a figure emerged, glaring at him fiercely. The concealment spells were broken, the air around them full of embers for a moment before all was clear and calm again.

Rivaille was beginning to wonder if he hadn’t fucked up somehow. Eren did not look pleased.

He generally didn’t look very pleased to see Rivaille but today those eyes seemed more bitter than usual.

“Eren.” Rivaille greeted him with a nod, eyes never leaving the brunet. “It’s good to see you.”

He didn’t mention Eren’s extraordinary lack of clothing in that moment, despite the fierce yearning it stirred in him. He didn’t share his happy discovery that the sun here didn’t try to melt his skin right off the bone. Rivaille only waited. He waited because he knew Eren had come here for a reason.

Rivaille assumed it was to soothe his separation agony. With all the effort Eren had put into concealing himself from the raven it was difficult to keep track of what he felt.

By now, though…he had to be hurting.

It hurt to think about that. Personally, the raven felt barely any discomfort. He was confident in their bond, and that Eren would return to him. Clearly the brunet was not so certain, for he had experienced significant pain in the early stages. Rivaille wondered how best to go about this. Eren did not look like he wanted to be held just then, though it would be a battle with his instincts to ignore the urge.

And yet…Eren continued to stand there.

He looked pissed, not hurt.

Rivaille felt…baffled. Perhaps his little mate had adjusted to the separation agony already?

He supposed that was a relief. Strange, given the intensity of Eren’s pain previously.

But good.

Pushing his confusion to the back of his mind, Rivaille continued to wait. Eren _had_ come here for a reason. Apparently, that reason was _not_ to waste time reminiscing with his mate.

“Since you _are_ here,” Eren said after a long moment, his frown twisting with a fleeting trace of worry, “there’s something you could do for me.”

Eren had _instructions_. Well, it wasn’t what Rivaille had been expecting but he could adjust.

“Oh anything for you, my dear.” The raven replied with a lazy smile.

The expression earned him a scowl.

“This is no joke, Rivaille.” Eren scolded and the raven wiped the smirk off his face, unwilling to get into a petty squabble over nothing. “Erwin. You’ll know him from the warehouse, his scent was all over that place.”

“I saw the traces, yes.” Rivaille nodded, picturing the evidence he’d collected mentally from the site. “What do you require of me?”

Eren’s eyes turned stern, a cold light in them, “Find him for me.”

A task? Excellent. Rivaille had always loved a manhunt and it would be good to prove himself useful to his mate.

Still, he couldn’t resist teasing Eren a little.

“Too busy to do it yourself?” He asked, tone mischievous.

For someone tolerating a rival’s obvious presence in Eren’s recovery nest, Rivaille felt he was allowed to tease just a little.

It was not received well.

Eren’s lips pulled back and he just barely kept from hissing, checking himself in time.

Rivaille blinked, unsure of their standing. As far as he had been aware, Levi had been injured but not fatally injured when Eren had whisked him away from the warehouse. Had something changed? Was that why Eren was so agitated?

Come to think of it he didn’t smell as much of Levi…as if he had been separated from him for a time.

Rivaille refused to ask for details, despite his burning curiosity.

“You kept your little secrets, I’ll keep mine for now.” Eren answered when he could speak without growling. “ _Find Erwin_ , find out what he _knows_. All of it. I don’t care how you do it.”

That had Rivaille’s eyebrows rising, surprise taking over his face.

“You’re giving me free reign?” He felt a grin slide into place across his mouth. “I _like_ this plan.”

Finally he would get to have some true fun with the wretch who had been trying to hunt Eren down. And Eren hadn’t even given him any rules. No limitations. Not even a guideline besides “find out what he knows”.

It could have been Christmas.

“Any other questions?” Eren asked, looking uneasy.

He had places to be, obviously, and Rivaille didn’t ask for the sake of his temper.

“Do you need him alive?” The raven asked.

He had to know, lest he let himself go a little too far in his fun.

Eren’s eyes flashed in warning. “We’ll discuss that _after_ you have answers.”

That was a yes. Erwin wouldn’t be dying today, though he wouldn’t be having a very good day either. Eren clearly had plans for the man. Plans that…didn’t involve him dying?

Or at least…not yet.

Rivaille looked forward to hearing the man’s fate, but first he needed to come good on his end of the deal.

He had to find out what Erwin Smith knew.

“Will you do it?” Eren asked him wearily, aware of how distractible the raven could become once he got to planning.

At his tone, Rivaille paused in his schemes. He looked Eren over, suppressing his own yearning and nodding once to affirm that he understood Eren’s wishes. He would carry out his order.

“Consider the deed done, lamb.” Rivaille said gently. “You’ll hear from me soon.”

A relieved look was sent his way and Eren nodded. “Thank you.” He said.

The words surprised Rivaille. “You don’t have to thank me.”

“But I can command you?” Eren asked, and here Rivaille’s eyes darkened with rare approval.

“Whatever you want, little mate.” He purred. “As I said; consider it done.”

 

 

“Where do you think you’re going, brat?” Rivaille growled.

Hunter let out an extremely undignified scream as he spun on the spot, stopping himself from swinging at Rivaille as he recognised him. For a moment the pair stared at each other. They were in the middle of the sidewalk, but the rest of the pedestrians continued to make their way around the two stuck in a visual Mexican standoff.

It was Hunter who broke the silent staring match.

“DUDE!” The brunet shouted before be broke down into heavy breathing, probably a little exaggerated to get his point across. “You can’t just sneak up on someone like that!”

He rubbed a hand over his heart for emphasis.

Rivaille just glowered at the boy, silent and cross.

“I thought I told you to wait back there and not to move until I’d returned?” The raven tried his best not to growl that time.

He failed.

Not that it could be helped; he’d returned to the diner to find Hunter gone. After the initial worry, Rivaille had become angry.

He’d followed Hunter’s trail to several blocks away where the twerp had been sulking his way down the street.

Rivaille’s frown deepened. “Are you completely stupid? If I tell you to lie low, _it’s for a reason_.”

Hunter sniffed, looking off to one side a bit guiltily.

“I…I thought you’d ditch me.” The boy said, sounding a bit glum. He ducked his head to stare at his shoes, toeing at some loose pavement. “I didn’t want to stick around for hours just to have you not show up.”

Rivaille hissed out a frustrated sigh, reaching over to tug roughly on Hunter’s ears to chastise him.

“Turns out you were _wrong_.” The raven scowled.

“Okay, okay!” Hunter yelped, flailing to free himself from Rivaille’s mean fingers. “You can’t blame me for being doubtful.”

Finally Rivaille released Hunter’s ears, crossing his arms over his chest. He could feel his tail twitching irritably behind him, a clear sign of frustration…and distress. The raven didn’t want to have to explain how worried he’d been returning to find the boy gone.

He could imagine the smug look such a confession would earn him.

“I told you I would keep you safe.” Rivaille said, still glaring when Hunter looked at him. “It was a promise and I will keep to that promise.” He huffed. “If you’re going to be a _moron_ about it, maybe I’ll change my mind.”

“I’m sorry.” Hunter stressed, glowering right back at the raven. “I freaked out, you went all cryptic on me and I bailed. Clearly that was stupid. I’m sorry I doubted you.” He blew a puff of air upwards, upsetting his fringe. “So where are we going?”

They mended situations strangely, but it worked. It was a relief to have such an easy relationship with anyone and the silver-eyed demon was grateful for it.

“You needed somewhere to stay.” Rivaille stated, grabbing hold of the boy’s wrist.

He didn’t feel the need to explain further.

Turns out he didn’t need to, either.

Even without warning, Hunter had assumed they would teleport. Hunter closed his eyes the moment Rivaille grabbed his wrist, opening his eyes only when he was sure they had arrived. He looked a little pale when they suddenly appeared in a new location, but to his credit the brunet did not throw up this time.

Rivaille felt secretly proud of how quickly the kid had adapted.

“I feel gross.” Hunter complained, looking about for somewhere to sit down.

He frowned, taking in the surrounds. It was dark where they were…a room? No, an attic. There were boxes around, storage of some sort. A mattress was stood up against one stack of boxes. Things were a little dusty, but it was better than the streets by a mile.

Although…

Hunter groaned. “Are we in someone else’s house again?”

The silver-eyed demon blinked at him, and the answer was yes even before he’d spoken.

“Mrs. Norman.” Rivaille supplied with absolute seriousness. “She’s eighty-three and lives with her seven feline companions.” Here Rivaille paused, looking troubled and thoughtful. “I thought you would appreciate the company.” He added finally.

Hunter raised an eyebrow. “Company?”

Rivaille nodded, looking around like he was watching the goings on of the house right through the floor. Or the ceiling, technically.

“Cats are awfully perceptive.” The raven informed Hunter, trudging about the attic with a critical eye on the state of things. “They react better to magic than dogs and I didn’t…I didn’t want you to be lonely.”

Rivaille busied himself with organising the place at the speed of light while Hunter stood there grinning to himself. It took the raven finishing, nodding at a dust-free and organised attic space, for him to even notice Hunter’s grin.

“What’s that look for?” Rivaille asked, immediately suspicious.

Hunter took the steps necessary to leave him standing in front of the raven, looking down at the mistrustful demon.

“Rivaille.” He said, stifling a laugh at Rivaille’s wary expression. “You got me cat roommates.”

“Hush.” Rivaille sighed, realising he was being teased.

“That’s fantastic. I appreciate it, but it’s also hilarious. I changed my mind, best day ever!”

Rivaille let Hunter have his fun, at least he was smiling. It was good to see him happy.

“I thought you would feel less uncomfortable staying with someone if you know you can make up for your presence here.” Rivaille explained, making his choice of this location clear to the boy.

Well, clear once he thought about it.

Hunter looked puzzled for a moment, but he caught on quickly. “By helping her out. Being her friendly, useful ghost. I get it.”

He was nodding, smiling too. Hunter didn’t seem upset, in fact he seemed to like Rivaille’s suggestion of playing friendly poltergeist for his unwitting host.

Rivaille had thought it through before coming here, and he had chosen the place before coming to follow Hunter’s wandering trail from the diner. There would be things for him to do here. Things that an elderly lady would easily mistake for thinking she’d done. Chores that Hunter could help with. Things to make him feel useful.

It would be good for him here, and he was still free to wander.

But this way Hunter would know that there was always a place he could return to, where he would be safe and relatively welcome.

Rivaille caught Hunter looking at him.

“You don’t like to have no purpose.” Rivaille said, catching the way Hunter swallowed to smother emotion. “I hope this helps you not to chew off your fingers from boredom, twerp.” He brought out the nickname, knowing it would help Hunter stop from dwelling on memories.

It worked, though he was sure Hunter knew what he’d done and why.

The brunet scoffed. “For your information, I only bit my nails for a year.” He said matter-of-factly.

“I know.” Rivaille smirked, reaching over to tap his knuckles lightly against one side of the boy’s head.

“Don’t make it creepy.” Hunter joked, mostly. “Thanks.”

He said it with a tone of finality, clearly reading Rivaille’s intent to depart. It was time he left.

Time he got to work.

“I do have to go.” Rivaille said in confirmation, nodding.

Hunter smiled, small but still there. “I figured you’d say that eventually. Any chance you’ll tell me what you’re planning on doing?”

Rivaille didn’t intend on answering, but he did. At least a little information, something that would have them parting on good terms instead of in an awkward silence.

“I have some business to take care of,” Rivaille replied, “for someone I love.”

His tone said it all and Hunter was downright grinning when Rivaille risked meeting his eyes.

“See? Now that’s working through it.” Hunter smirked. “I’m _proud_.”

Rivaille shot him a look of crippling apathy. “Take care of Mrs. Norman.”

“And her cats, yeah I got it. Have fun with your demon homework, bozo.”

Hunter was smiling when Rivaille left, and he considered that the biggest victory of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I know you guys like I think I do, then a whole lot of people are going to be very satisfied with the events of the next update. Mwahaha.


	63. Possession Is Nine Tenths Of The Law

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _This_ one's been a long time coming.

 

 

The weather had darkened ominously by the time Rivaille came to the end of the trail. He’d delighted in the gradual growth of storm clouds, the build of static in the air, the rumbling of thunder that finally started as he drew nearer.

It was only fitting that he forewarn his victim that something was coming.

A gathering of angry, purple clouds had gathered over the city, the first drops of icy rain falling as Rivaille paused outside of a building.

The sign outside read ‘Sina Southside Motel’ and it looked like a reasonable establishment. Several stories high, the building was painted in greys. Its sign boasted over a hundred rooms, reliable service, and the vacancy sign was lit up in narrow green neon tubing. The allotted space for a carpark out front was busy but not full. There wasn’t a soul about outside, though. No one wanted to risk getting caught in the oncoming weather, getting nastier by the minute. All the current residents of the motel were holed up in their rooms, no doubt making use of the room service that was available at all hours.

Clearly the establishment was a decent one, drawing in customers and providing them with good and no doubt memorable service.

Too bad it was harbouring scum.

Clearly no one had known to tell the owners of Sina Southside Motel that one of their more recent guest, one Erwin Smith to be exact, was bad for business.

He brought demons right to the door.

Rivaille could smell him, his scent of lies and corruption thick in the air, along with that human tang the raven loved so much. That downright edible aroma was probably Erwin’s only saving grace – he was a scumbag but he still smelled appetising. Were it any other day, Rivaille would have gone to town on that opportunity. But alas, he wasn’t there for dining pleasures. Not that he wouldn’t enjoy this…interrogation.

Coming here had been no accident on Erwin’s part. He knew something was coming.

The motel was to throw his enemy off the scent, to keep them from making any connections and to stop putting other lives in danger. But Erwin had underestimated his enemy.

And it was about to cost him.

A flash of lightning lit up the sky, branches of the white light snaking off every which way, and with it Rivaille closed his eyes. He sucked in a deep breath, eyes rolling behind their shuttered lids. Mind seeking, searching. Within seconds he had that smell traced to a room, the number on the door a golden 63, and before the lightning had finished illuminating the sky he was in.

From the street outside to the room itself in a rush of crackling smoke.

An inhale, alarmed, sounded as Rivaille opened his eyes and discovered that he was conveniently standing right in front of his target.

Erwin sat stiff as a cadaver, frozen in the armchair he’d taken to wait in. His eyes, wide and blue, were fixed on the form of the new arrival to his motel room.

Probably the last face he’d expected to see.

Outside the sky lit up again and Rivaille lurched forward with the beginnings of a grin, clawed hands latching onto Erwin’s wrists. His eyes burned white for a split second, boring into startled blue orbs, and he had the sliver of information he wanted in less than a second – an image, a location. The lightning completed its strike as the pair disappeared from the room. The resulting thunder was but a murmur in the distance by the time Rivaille had transported them where he wanted.

The same city, just a different area.

To Rivaille, it was just another unfamiliar house…but it was familiar to Erwin.

The raven had dropped his hold of the man the moment they materialised, sending Erwin flopping back rather suddenly onto his own couch. He landed roughly, but was caught by cushions. Rivaille deemed it quite the considerable action on his part. By the time the blonde was looking around, realising that they were in his own home, Rivaille was lurking by the window and watching the rain outside grow heavier.

A long silence passed during which Rivaille watched the sky. He let the curtains swish back into place, the fabric vaguely see-through to allow some light from the outside world in.

That was helpful here, given that not a single light was on in the place.

Rivaille sought to fix that, feeling out with imperceptible senses. There was a lamp resting on one of the pointless decorative tables in Erwin’s living room and, with barely a shift in focus, Rivaille had the bulb glowing, throwing light. Not much, considering how dark it was with the cloud cover.

It was enough to see by.

“Why here?” Asked a voice Rivaille had heard before, though from a man considerably more distinguished than this fiend.

To his credit, this Erwin managed not to sound surprised by anything either. Not Rivaille’s sudden appearance in a place no one should have thought to look for him, not the fact that his kidnapper wore a familiar face. Not even the clearly demonic appearance. Erwin didn’t allow himself to react to any of it. He fought to remain stoic, clearly under the impression that to react would be to lose.

And he was right.

The collected act had been charming once, if infuriating. From this person, but a sliver of the great man, it only made Rivaille’s lip curl in anger. He was, of course, the picture of polished calm when he turned to meet Erwin’s wary gaze.

Rivaille observed the man, sitting so stiffly in a place that would usually have brought him comfort.

The thought made Rivaille grin, all teeth, and his amusement lit up his eyes – two spots of white flame in the darkness.

“I wanted to do this somewhere personal.” The raven answered, still wearing that deadly grin.

Rivaille knew a sparse few details, but that line would be enough to earn him more information.

Erwin had kidnapped Levi to draw Eren out. The man clearly knew that Eren and Levi had been involved, but beyond that Rivaille didn’t want to leave anything to guess work.

He waited.

Erwin didn’t react physically, but his eyes were a mess of unguarded thoughts. He looked like he’d seen a ghost. The ashen skin, the slightly glazed eyes – it was easy to read the man’s panic even if he stubbornly refused to express it otherwise. Rivaille focused his stare on those eyes, pulling a pained groan from the man across the living room as he pilfered through as many memories as he could reach from there. Only the ones Erwin had been thinking of himself. Sitting there panicking, drawing connections between his situation and Levi’s face, which he recognised and which opened up access to bits and pieces of countless memories. It was an easy steal.

The content of the memories was…surprising.

Rivaille found himself looking at a startlingly familiar face, though he knew it wasn’t himself in the memories.

For one, he would never have slept with this man before him.

Apparently…Levi had. So they knew each other that well, did they? _Interesting_.

Rivaille’s grin stretched impossibly wider.

This was going to be an even crueller game…and Eren had to have known that. Of course he knew. There wasn’t even the possibility of this being a coincidence. Erwin had known Levi before Eren had even been aware of Levi’s existence, and vice versa. Eren was angry about that. He was jealous, naturally, but the anger was greater. And no wonder Eren had given Rivaille free reign to do whatever he wished, to go as far as he liked, so long as it didn’t kill the man. Because Eren _wanted_ this to be as awful and as cruel as possible.

A little payback for some wrongs done against Eren’s precious human. And Rivaille couldn’t even be cross about it…because he wanted this man to suffer for even looking like his old friend.

Erwin had yet to say anything, still swimming in thoughts and the confusing pain of Rivaille’s spontaneous memory access. Rivaille hadn’t been gentle. He hoped it had _hurt_.

But he couldn’t let himself become too cross. Things had only just begun.

The raven felt as though he’d better get started.

Answers didn’t cough themselves up.

He took a deliberate step, watching every muscle in Erwin’s body tense in preparation to do something, anything. The man clearly had at least one backup plan. He wasn’t totally unprepared, as was made obvious by his attempt to draw his enemy out and away from his home. That had failed, but he still had a trick up his sleeve.

Rivaille didn’t mind waiting to find out what it was.

Another step, then another, and he stood across from the man now with a considered amount of space between them.

His grin levelled out into a less alarming smile, cold eyes locking with a worried blue gaze. He fought off the urge to give Erwin an even bigger headache.

“I don’t suppose you’d believe that I’m not who you think I am?” Rivaille asked to begin with.

He had no intention of playing pretend and acting as if he were Levi. For one, he had no idea how Levi might behave in this situation, having only just acquired any memories or information involving this Erwin and Levi at all. Secondly, and more importantly in Rivaille’s mind, it would be more fun to reveal himself as an entirely separate being. There were enough similarities that Erwin would doubt him no matter what proof he claimed to have, and that would be half the fun. His every move, word, and glance would plague Erwin with taunting memories. All because of the charming coincidence that he and Levi shared a face.

The whole scenario was delicious and they’d not even begun.

Erwin’s eyes hardened. “You’re not Levi.” He said.

And that surprised Rivaille a little because he’d been sure he’d need at least a little proof to convince the man of that.

“Oh?” He said, smile fading into something flat and curious. “How would you know?”

Here Erwin seemed to be conflicted.

“No, the demon was _Eren_. We proved it wasn’t Levi.” He muttered, probably to himself but Rivaille heard it anyway. Then louder, “You’re…you can’t be…you might have Levi’s face and his voice, but I know it’s you in there. If Levi were a demon, I never would have been able to get a hold of him to use against Eren in the first place. I’m not an idiot.”

Not an idiot? Rivaille couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him, realising where this man’s mind had taken him in the overdrive of adrenaline it was suffering.

“You think I’m Eren?” Rivaille asked, though it didn’t have to be a question.

That was exactly it. Erwin believed that Rivaille was Eren come to taunt, and likely to kill, him.

“You can’t fool me.”

“Apparently you can fool yourself just fine.” Rivaille drawled, casting a purposefully bored gaze off to one side though he monitored Erwin in his periphery. “If you think Eren is anywhere but by Levi’s side right now, after what you put them through, then yes…you _are_ an idiot.”

It was such a simple thing to put to this man, and yet it made so much sense that Rivaille could see Erwin struggling to accept what he’d believed and what he now saw. A creature in Levi’s image, come on Eren’s behalf, but being neither of those two.

Erwin’s eyes narrowed, understanding crossing his features. “You’re…a new party?”

He caught on reasonably quickly, Rivaille would credit him that much at least.

“New, huh? I’ll take that as a compliment.” Rivaille said with a grin that appeared as quickly as it vanished. “I may not be Eren, but let’s say I represent him and let me inform you...you’d have been better off had Eren come here himself.”

Erwin was doing a valiant job of not flinching at Rivaille’s threats.

“You’re here for Eren?” The blonde asked, cutting to the point.

“Eren. Yes.” The raven said. “You’ll be leaving him alone from now on. Both of them, actually. Eren _and_ Levi.” He emphasised, then paused as a thought occurred to him. “And Hunter. You’ll stop looking for them, you’ll forget they ever existed.”

Erwin looked surprised, not trying to catch the shock or keep it in check.

“You even know about the boy?” He asked, sounding bemused and a little impressed. “How thorough of you.”

If only he’d known because he’d been thorough. Rivaille thanked his lucky stars for leading him to Hunter in time, but his features gave away nothing.

“You’ve been so caught up with your righteous little mission that you didn’t notice you were leading your own enemies to all the answers they’d need.” Rivaille’s eyes shone and he had no expression at all when he next spoke. “Your part in the game is over. You’ll tell me your secrets and we’ll be done.”

Anger registered in blue eyes, a flash of defiance. Erwin was confident.

Good, Rivaille would have loathed for the game to be so easy.

“What makes you think that my part is done?” The blonde asked, the beginnings of a frown forming.

The wolfish grin was returning, Rivaille couldn’t help himself.

“A gut feeling.” He answered.

He watched Erwin sit up straighter, determination settling onto his features even though it was a pointless act. Rivaille could hear his heart pounding away. Erwin knew exactly how much trouble he was in…and he knew there wasn’t a way out.

There was no smooth talking his way free of what was coming to him.

The best part was Erwin didn’t even know the half of what was coming to him, but he would find out the hard way.

“You think you can intimidate me?” Erwin started anyway. “I knew what I signed up for-”

“Oh _Erwin_ , you had _no idea_.” Rivaille cut off that little tirade before it could start.

He had no intention of sitting through some falsely confident speech unless it gave him real information.

The raven smiled eerily at Erwin and let a little influence fall over the house. Gradually the walls creaked protest, a light flickered on suddenly only for the bulb to burst and send glass flying across the room.

Erwin, sensing his time was running out, made a move of final defiance.

He lurched forwards, surging up and off the couch to lunge for Rivaille. It was a stupid move, given the frightening difference between a human’s reaction time and a demon’s. Then there was the terrifying strength advantage that the raven had. Erwin could do nothing to him, even if he was right in Rivaille’s face. Hunter had figured that one out the hard way. Erwin would, too. Rivaille had no plans of moving to evade this big oaf…until he noticed the vial.

It was small, something the big man had easily been able to hide in his hand. Erwin swung his arm as if to throw. He wielded that little vial like it was some great weapon. Uncapped, the glass cylinder was filled with something suspiciously…silver in colour. Rivaille’s surprise allowed the blonde a crucial moment of time.

If nothing else, Erwin had damned good aim.

His lunge had never been a real grab for Rivaille. Erwin knew his chances against a demon like Eren when he’d been half-feral and weakened were awful. His chances against Rivaille meant he had already lost no matter what he did…except Rivaille hadn’t thought of the obstacle of silver until it was too late.

The liquid caught a stunned Rivaille across the face, silver burning into his eyes.

It had been a clever tactic.

Take Rivaille off guard and run for it, hope that the distraction was enough to buy you the time to flee. Clever Erwin. But, as always with this version of him, not clever enough.

Erwin might have made to run, to try and escape. That would have been an excellent idea because now Rivaille was pissed and in pain and he wanted fucking _blood_ for this. If Erwin had just planned a little better, he might have bought himself a few minutes of freedom.

But Erwin hadn’t anticipated what hearing a demon’s unchecked true voice could do to a human.

He was about to learn.

At the sudden, blistering pain eating into his face, Rivaille let go of a pitching screech that would have shattered glass for blocks had he not checked himself and erected barriers. Just this house. Just this human deserved the destruction. Some of the reaction was pain, but Rivaille had also wanted Erwin to suffer for thinking he could get away with something so _insolent_. So he screamed in a voice not meant for this world and listened to the havoc it wreaked upon the nearby human.

With his superior hearing, Rivaille was privy to the sound of every tiny crack that skittered through Erwin’s bones. They were brittle as glass now, and Erwin screamed something ghoulish. The agonised kind of screech that damaged vocal chords.

There was a point where pain became more than one could fight, and no human was ever meant to survive something like this.

Rivaille had to focus on his own survival, though.

He couldn’t let himself panic, not now. That’s what young demons did and he couldn’t afford to waste time flailing in pain so he shoved the pain and surprise aside to focus. Silver burned _fast_. Enough of it was deadly. But Rivaille knew how to deal with silver burns.

He needed all traces of it gone _now_ , but it was liquid and he was…unfortunately blind.

Well Erwin wasn’t going anywhere, not with the feverish pleading he was doing crumpled somewhere on the floor nearby. Rivaille could smell blood, fresh, and he wondered how exactly he’d managed to hurt the man. Ruptured blood vessels? Erwin’s own, frenzied clawing at his ears to make the awful scream stop? Both? More? Rivaille hoped it was more. He hoped it was _awful_.

With a furious growl, Rivaille navigated the blonde’s living room with a rare sense – detecting the objects and furniture around him with a spell. A little magic echolocation, almost. He found the sink, learned how the taps worked, and cleared the worst of the silver from himself. The rest…he gouged off.

Claws came in handy in all sorts of situations.

His ruined eyes would heal faster this way, and the last of the silver was removed from his hands with tap water, along with his own blood.

Rivaille leaned against what he assumed was a bench of some sort. He fumed in silence, hearing Erwin’s pained moaning and groaning from the living room while his flesh repaired itself. Gashes along his face, missing eyeballs, torn lids. It all mended, painfully but rapidly, as long as he focused. This was but a hindrance, a pause in his interrogation which hadn’t begun in earnest but he was done playing. The silver had been an insult, one that Smith had believed would save him.

It only confirmed Rivaille’s nastier plans.

He’d considered how agonising the process of memory sharing could be made, if he really, really tried to be rough with it. But now…that seemed too pleasant.

There was one way that Rivaille would have complete access to every memory, thought, and feeling that Erwin ever had. Complete possession. It would also grant the raven a unique and satisfying way to deliver the human slime ball to Eren when he was done. But the absolute most important thing was that it would hurt like nothing else on this Earth.

Possession differed from memory share in that they were separate stages of the same process. Memory share hurt because one mind was suddenly filled with the presence of another, then returned to its original state again. It could be uncomfortable, but could be recovered from easily. Possession hurt because an entire being was merged with another being, all those particles shifting and trying to cram their way into the one body. It was agony for the victim. Like being ripped apart, turned to dust, but still being alive and conscious throughout the painful process until your body gave out.

A lot of the time…you didn’t survive it. Once you’d earned possession as a punishment…you weren’t _meant_ to survive it.

But Rivaille was more than clever enough to do it…possess without killing.

It would be fun. A challenge.

 _Screw_ the interrogation. Rivaille wanted utter surrender in his victim, not a fight he would have to undergo whilst searching for answers. Surrender and sweet agony. Once he crawled inside of that scumbag lying witless on the floor, Erwin would know how it felt to be fit to burst within his own skin. Bones brittle, like dust towers. Bleeding and bleeding but not enough to die. Every movement would be pain. Every pause would be _worse pain_ because there wouldn’t be the distraction of movement to mask the steady shift of joints being pulled apart, of bones being compressed, of empty sockets and yet, somehow, movement.

“You probably think you’re _pretty clever_ right about now.” Rivaille uttered, torturing Erwin with even this barest utterance of his true voice.

Even through his focus of healing, Rivaille could hear the shouts of alarm. The pleas to stop. A demon’s true voice was like sticking your head in a vice for a human. It was like sandpaper on the mind.

“I was prepared to be _nice_ , to make it quick and awful but it _would have been quick_.”

The more he spoke, the less he felt like reigning himself in. More and more words took on that earth-shaking timbre and plaster rained from the walls as Rivaille uttered a last, seething sentence.

“I’m going to _make you_ _wish you’d never existed in the first place_.”

Somewhere in the living room, Erwin’s pleas turned into screams.

 

 

The next time Rivaille stood in the living room, his eyes were healed.

Blinking still stung, but he could handle the pain. It was worth it to be able to stare down at the crumpled figure of Erwin, still sprawled on the floor with only his eyes telling Rivaille that the man was still conscious.

It had been touch and go for a while there. Every time Rivaille felt bitter, he’d throw out a few more threats in that Hell-born voice of his, shaking the house itself until Erwin screamed himself into blacking out. When he would begin to wake, mumbling in a daze, the pattern began all over again and Rivaille learned something that shook him.

Torturing someone who deserved their agony was sweeter than any of the horror he’d put Eren through.

His intentions aside, and he would stand by his intentions no matter who accused him, Rivaille couldn’t help but wonder how he should go about apologising to Eren when he saw him again. If he ever got the twerp alone, he wanted to know what words to say to him. How to explain.

But instead of planning out those words, he found himself staring down at Erwin Smith with fresh and stinging eyes.

The man was aware of him, blue eyes making their way up to Rivaille in a daze.

Erwin started to speak, the words pained and slow.

“I’ve passed on…all the information I had. It’s…it’s too late to stop that; if you kill me it will only confirm what I’ve written to the higher ups. If I die…the plan goes forward. You’ve already lost.”

Rivaille would have smiled at the words, if he’d been able to find anything other than boiling hatred for the man at his feet.

“How dramatic.” The silver-eyed demon commented, still steaming around the face where his flesh was in the final stages of repairing itself. “You make it sound like there was ever something for us to worry about.” Rivaille crouched down in front of Erwin, tilting his head. There wasn’t a hint of emotion on his face until you got to the eyes, a silver gaze determined to set Erwin Smith ablaze with his hatred alone. “What’s most amusing is that you think the worst punishment we have in store for you is death. Now that is cute.”

It took the dazed blonde a few moments to comprehend Rivaille’s words, and a few moments more to put together a coherent response.

“You’re not…going to kill me, then?”

“My dear man, why would I kill you when it’s the only option that’s no fun at all?”

Rivaille leaned closer still, and he dared Erwin to have another trick up his sleeve, to have a fucking silver dagger up his sleeve for all he cared about safety. All that mattered to Rivaille in that moment was getting inside Erwin’s head before he climbed into his _soul_ and _ate him alive_.

Inches away from the blonde’s face and Rivaille felt his eyes widening to something truly sinister.

“No. No no, we’re going to do something _fun_. We’re going to play dress ups, you and I. Doesn’t that sound delightful? And we’re going to go on a nice little trip to see someone I’m sure you’ll love to see walking around in perfect health. And then…well, we’ll see what he has in mind for you, hmm?” Rivaille rocked back on his heels, wrenching Erwin’s head up and meeting his startled eyes. “But first…I have a bone to pick with you.”

“Oh?” Erwin all but breathed, tired and about ready to pass out.

Rivaille smiled at him, the expression almost kind but don’t be fooled.

“Have you ever had your memories read, Mr. Smith?” Rivaille asked in a sugar sweet tone, enjoying the confusion that took its time crossing Erwin’s face.

“No.” The man answered.

“Let me explain, then, since I’m so _generous_.” Rivaille cocked his head to one side, his smile turning lazy but his eyes bright and eager. “It’s like possession, only not so far. Well today,” Rivaille smacked his palm against the side of Erwin’s face when it looked like the blonde might nod off, “…let’s just say I’m not concerned about going too far.”

Erwin blinked at him, face stinging from the not too gentle slap he’d just received and back protesting from the angle Rivaille was keeping him at.

“I thought you weren’t going to kill me?” The blonde wondered aloud.

Rivaille gave a lazy hum, barely amused.

“Possession won’t kill you.” He said as if explaining it to a very young child. “Oh it could.” He nodded, eyes wide before his expression relaxed. “But it won’t, don’t worry. When it comes to the kind of torture that _could_ kill you, rest assured you’re in _good hands_.”

 

 

A whole day was dedicated to Erwin Smith’s punishment.

Rivaille felt entitled to the task and he wanted to be thorough. If he ever got the chance to physically speak to the man face to face, there would be a thousand memories of the different ways that Rivaille could make Erwin’s life worse than death.

In that same time, Rivaille traipsed through Erwin’s home and took delight in learning which things were precious, which items were sentimental, and setting them ablaze one by one. He’d always loved fire, as dangerous as it was for his kind, and Erwin’s treasures burned beautifully. The very last thing to be handed over to Rivaille’s fire was Erwin’s house itself.

He wanted to remove any strange evidence. Besides, when the blaze was reported it would no doubt be news worthy…and Rivaille loved to leave a good story in his wake.

The Smith home up in flames. Erwin witnessed leaving the scene in a worrying manner, cursing his neighbours and rambling about God on high.

The golden man’s reputation was in shambles. His home was in ruins.

And Rivaille had every last boring detail of Erwin Smith’s existence locked safely away in his own memory. He’d delighted in sauntering through each and every memory, knowing that the content he found was nothing compared to Erwin’s fury at the violation itself. Rivaille made sure to pay special attention to every last sliver of memory that contained anything and everything about Levi. Mostly it was to torment Erwin, as Eren would have been pleased by that, but Rivaille was curious too.

He enjoyed the bitter man, always ready with a quip or drawling sarcasm. Few things had surprised Levi back then, and after Smith’s betrayal it was clear Levi only became more accepting of life and the lousy hand it dealt people.

No wonder he’d taken Eren in, one freak of nature sheltering another.

Rivaille had seen that happen before, although he’d been in Levi’s shoes at the time. Not to mention, he’d still been alive.

The silver-eyed demon was glad that possession didn’t grant Erwin the same view into his being. The blonde might have learned some pretty interesting things if that had been the case, but as it was Erwin could do nothing but exist while Rivaille maintained control.

But taking his time could prove costly for Eren. Rivaille had all he needed.

“Ready to go, Smith?” The raven said aloud, commanding Erwin’s mouth to move and his throat to push out the words.

It sounded very different than Rivaille was used to hearing himself and he grinned at the dual voices. His own, more whimsical tone laced Erwin’s deeper tenor.

Truth be told, they’d left a while ago, leaving the burning ruins of Erwin’s home behind them. Rivaille traipsed the streets, letting Erwin’s people see him on more than one occasion before vanishing beyond their ability to see, to comprehend. They’d seen all they needed to see, one of their members of influence alive and well.

Only he wasn’t so well.

Rivaille could feel the toll he was taking on Erwin’s body, but they were on their way now. It wouldn’t be much longer that they had to tolerate sharing a single form.

As Rivaille walked, he spoke quietly to himself. For he knew Erwin was aware enough to hear him, and thus the torment could continue.

“Are you listening, Smith? I know you are. Your people, the ones who think they’re so clever, have seen that you’re alive. Alive and well. So…I guess that puts a stop to your doomsday plans now, doesn’t it? What a shame.”

He grinned, delighted with how things were turning out.

“What a complicated mess you’ve gotten yourself into. And so many following in your footsteps?” Rivaille chuckled, hearing Erwin’s voice forced to make the same sound. “I have no orders regarding your petty, human cult. The fact that you thought any number of humans could run a successful assault on Hell is _laughable_. But I'll keep an eye on your people for you, hmm? Keep them chasing their own tails. Or perhaps I'll even make you take care of it for me? Wouldn't that be fun?”

Rivaille could imagine Erwin’s frustration.

He knew that his plans, the plans of his fellow men, were not going to work. Even without any information, it was clear. Rivaille had made it clear to him that Erwin and his people would meet with nothing but terrible failure.

And there was nothing Erwin could do to warn his comrades.

His frustration, his desperation, was a palpable thing. And Rivaille was loving very moment of it.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Smith.” Rivaille all but sang. “Who knows? Eren may find a use for you and your people before the day is out. Wouldn’t that just be spectacular?”

The sky, which had previously paused in its downpour to allow the Smith house to burn, had grown thick enough with clouds that the rain began anew. It soaked through the shirt on Erwin’s body, a once-pristine white button down now stained with various splotches of red. The skin beneath had blossomed with bruises that would impress even Levi should the man ever see them.

Rivaille had it on good account that the man could throw a very decent punch.

He wondered, then, if he’d like to have a swing at Erwin right about now?

“I can’t wait to tell him the good news.” Rivaille continued to taunt, though he was also genuinely eager to deliver his findings to Eren. And then…an idea. “You know what? I’m feeling generous; let’s deliver the news _together_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caution: dead man walking.


	64. Dressed To Kill

 

 

It was a miserable looking day outside. Wind rattled the trees along the street, buffering the house. The air was cold; a creeping chill that tried to settle bone deep and leave one shivering. Thunder rolled ominously over the city, the clouds dark but declining to give up any rain for the moment.

Eren was suspicious of the moody clouds that refused to move on, knowing they weren’t natural.

He could only imagine what Rivaille might have done to cause such weather. All Eren could do was wait until Rivaille called for him, which he would only do once he had answers.

And no doubt a fresh corpse.

“What is it?” Levi rasped.

The raven couldn’t have been awake long, still sleepy when Eren glanced at him. They had been sleeping, those final stretches of rest that meant their bond had settled at last. With any luck things could get back to normal now. Whatever normal meant anymore. Levi’s form had settled, too. He didn’t slip into anything obviously demonic by accident anymore, though Eren suspected he would have more trouble keeping up his human guise if he was distressed or angry. Levi’s newly keen senses were already sharp enough to tell that something was off today, and Eren didn’t want to have to lie. Especially not when his worries concerned Levi.

“I’m waiting on a call. Not a phone call,” he said to clarify when Levi opened his mouth to ask, “but a message nonetheless.”

“From Rivaille.” Levi didn’t have to guess Eren’s meaning, he knew.

“He should be done with his errand by now,” Eren said, staring out of the window with a cold expression, “unless things got complicated.”

Worrying about Rivaille felt unbelievably stupid. There wasn’t a thing on this Earth that Erwin could use to fight Rivaille, and yet still Eren worried. He hadn’t missed the single flare of pain across their bond, brief but intense. Clearly Erwin had taken the wraith by surprise. It didn’t happen often, but that would explain why Eren had even felt anything at all from Rivaille. He couldn’t shield from Eren what he hadn’t expected.

Their connection was still there, still strong. Rivaille was fine.

Wherever he was.

“Maybe he’s just having an exceptionally good time?” Levi suggested dryly.

“That’s what worries me.” Eren frowned. “I can’t afford for him to mess this up. My instructions were clear enough.”

“And you’re worried because? Well, other than the fact that it’s Rivaille.”

“That’s exactly why I’m worried.”

Eren stiffened suddenly, realising the tension in his bond with Rivaille had lessened suddenly. He was a lot closer.

Too close.

The panic of that realisation had been so strong that it took the brunet a moment to notice that Levi had stiffened too.

“Something’s coming.” Levi said, wide eyes trained on the window like he wished he could see through it. “Eren, something is coming _here_.”

 

 

Rivaille’s grin felt strange as it slid into place on Erwin’s face, the blonde’s features pulled into a leer by the raven’s amusement. He could feel Eren’s sudden panic. It had taken far longer than Rivaille had expected for the brunet to notice that he was coming. There was barely any tension left in their connection, so that meant any one of the houses along this street could be the one.

Somewhere along here was the house in which his little mate was taking shelter. That also meant his pet was about, too, but Rivaille wasn’t too concerned about Levi at the moment. More curious than anything.

He would know when he found the right house.

That turned out to be true, although not in the way Rivaille had expected.

Movement had pulled his eyes towards a driveway, a lone human wandering towards a house. Tall, brown hair in an untidy ponytail. Rivaille had barely realised it before he’d moved, a lurching teleport leap right across the street. Barely three feet away from them, he reached for the name that sprang into his head and wondered, maybe even hoped, if this person would answer to that name.

“Hanji?”

The human turned towards him, a frown on their face although Rivaille suspected it was the voice that confused them. His own voice and Erwin’s together made for an odd symphony.

When the human was finally facing him, it scowled immediately.

Not exactly the response he’d been expecting.

“Erwin, what the fuck?” Hanji hissed, clearly familiar with the blonde though they did not seem to be on good terms. “Do you know how many people on this property want you dead? About a hundred percent of them. Fuck off.”

Rivaille rifled through the memories Erwin had of this woman, and they had been pleasant until the more recent memories.

Erwin was not good at keeping his friends, it seemed.

“All these years and I can’t think of a single thing to say to you.” Rivaille said, disliking the way Erwin said the words for him. “How disappointed you’d have been.”

“Are you high? Fuck off, I said. Nobody wants you here. It’s a miracle you’re aren’t-” Hanji’s angry words cut off abruptly as Erwin’s body shuddered and crumpled, exhaling a long wisp of dark smog, “…dead already…”

Rivaille didn’t bother shrouding his face as he assembled himself from the smoke, pleased at the recognition on Hanji’s face. Even if it wasn’t _him_ she remembered, it was nice.

The brunette stared at him, wide-eyed. All the anger she’d directed at Erwin melted away into shock.

“Okay…” Hanji said, trying and failing to come to terms with what she’d just seen, “Levi, why do I not want to ask what’s going on?”

Naturally she was familiar with Levi, too. That was almost a comfort. Perhaps Rivaille could ask where Levi was supposed to be currently? Then Hanji could unwittingly lead him directly to Eren and-

“HANJI!” A scream ripped through the quiet and when the pair turned they caught sight of a familiar figure in the doorway of Hanji’s house.

Levi looked feverish, his eyes wide and hands outstretched as if to grab Hanji although they were too far apart for that. He knew exactly what was going on. Rivaille couldn’t fool this one, so he just cocked his head and sent the raven a wave.

_Hello, Levi. At last._

Hanji stared, confusion and alarm the only things on her face.

“Okay someone better have a _real_ good explanation.” She muttered, but the woman didn’t sound so confident anymore.

Levi didn’t move, but he did start speaking a near constant stream of worried words.

“Hanji, that’s not me. You need to get the hell away from him right now, that is _not_ me, Christ, just come here.” Levi turned his comments on Rivaille then. “Listen, you fuck, you don’t touch her. You don’t do shit to her and I don’t give a damn how badass you think you are I’ll fuck you up, I will find a way.”

Rivaille smirked, humming his amusement. “How bold. Eren’s clearly rubbing off on you, all that insolence had to come from somewhere.”

Realisation set in and Hanji turned ashen as her brain caught up with the situation. She looked about ready to be sick, but in the next instant Hanji was gone. Whisked away by a rush of wind.

The figure that replaced her was a positively livid Eren.

He must have been doing something, putting up last-minute spells to prevent the neighbourhood from being disrupted by whatever he thought Rivaille had planned. Eren thought he would reveal them.

All he wanted was to drop by and see his little lamb.

And maybe cause a bit of drama, but heck.

“Eren, he can’t be here.” Levi was mumbling, wide eyed and sickly pale. “She’s got nothing to do with you or me and he _cannot be here_.”

“Levi, go back inside.” Eren said with false calm, his eyes locked on Rivaille like he thought he might take off. “Take care of Hanji, let me handle this.”

“Eren-”

Aw, he’d gone and caused an argument between them. How adorable. The pair of them bickered like an old married couple even in the face of danger. Well, Rivaille supposed he counted as danger in the current scenario even if he hadn’t intended to cause any mischief.

Not any harmful sort of mischief, at least.

Neither Eren or Levi noticed that Rivaille had resumed his possession of Erwin until he spoke, twin voices causing the pair’s heads to snap in his direction.

“Oh _dear_ ,” Rivaille purred, delightfully amused, “I’m not interrupting something, am I?”

He caught the look of horror on Levi’s face at seeing Erwin up and walking, with a demented grin plastered on his face. It had to be one hell of a mind fuck. Rivaille knew every last memory that would have been tearing through Levi’s mind right about then. The traitorous remnants of memory when Erwin had still been a good kid, followed by every stinging, taunting experience that had followed. And now this. Confronted once again by this snake of a man. It was a mean tactic, Rivaille knew, but he had his reasons.

Eren was there. Eren was _furious_. Rivaille could see him shaking, fingers curling into fists that he ached to use. The brunet would have no problem taking his anger out on Rivaille, but not Erwin. Not now, when he had his oh-so-precious plans to take care of.

And this human slime ball still had a part to play.

Rivaille had messed him up, sure, but Erwin was still alive. He didn’t have permission to so much as lose consciousness, let alone die, no matter how much pain he was in.

Eren’s number one condition had been simple: don’t kill Erwin. He still had a purpose, whatever it might be. So Rivaille was fairly certain that Eren wouldn’t dare try anything harmful while Rivaille was tucked away safe and sound inside his human bargaining chip.

Which meant he didn’t think twice about treading carefully.

“You don’t seem very pleased to see me.” Rivaille observed, knowing exactly how it would rile his mate.

Rivaille’s voice sounded terrible even to his own ears, a dual resonance of Erwin’s voice and his but all at once. It was a worrying sound, but Eren didn’t flinch.

“ _This is crossing a line, Rivaille_.” Eren’s voice was entirely his own but low like thunder, betraying his anger.

There was still a danger there, lurking warning signs of violence, but Rivaille’s eyes darted instead to Levi.

Levi who had stood there, perfectly fine, while Eren had used his true voice. Flickering memories of the warehouse returned; the way Levi had screamed himself hoarse at the very sound of Rivaille speaking. Eren’s true voice wasn’t all that different.

Silver eyes narrowed.

“Oh we could talk about crossing lines,” Rivaille said, low and lazy with that sickly Smith charm, “but I came here to deliver my report, not to squabble. Don’t you want to hear what I’ve learned?”

Eren looked like he had a lot of things he wanted to say, but they were all buried under the anger he was still trying to get under control.

Choosing to poke the metaphorical bear, Rivaille turned his attention to Levi. So normal. So incredibly human-looking that it made Rivaille squint at him, sharp eyes prodding at the thick, intangible whorls of magic that clung to the little raven’s form. Levi was all but smothered in enchantments. Rivaille inclined his head and gave the raven a long, considering once-over.

“Hello, replacement.” Rivaille greeted, feeling an odd, dry humour at the knowledge that he was finally meeting his mortal half after all this time. He sent Levi a stoic look. “How was fucking my fated?”

“You’d know.” Levi said with the same indifference.

He didn’t even miss a beat. It was startling how alike they were in that one moment, wearing forced apathy like a mask while trying to throw each other off balance.

“Damn.” Rivaille muttered, turning a grin on Eren. “I like this one.”

Rivaille’s back was in the dirt before he could blink. A hand closed tight around Erwin’s throat but Rivaille felt the pressure and threat of it just the same. Eren loomed over him, lips pulled back over sharp teeth, and there was an almost manic light in his eyes. He’d honestly managed to pin Rivaille. Caught him off guard fair and square. Rivaille was winded but proud of Eren’s speed, though he was sure he’d felt Erwin’s bones rattle under his flesh at the impact.

So much for him not damaging the goods.

“ _He’s not for you_.” Eren growled, claws digging into Erwin’s throat like he could choke Rivaille right out of the man. “Don’t even _think_ about it.”

Too late, Rivaille thought belatedly as his mind supplied him the visual. It wasn’t hard to picture a third addition to their usual scenarios, especially when said third was his doppelganger. A perfect copy. And Eren had thought he’d had his hands full with just one of them at a time.

What a treacherous thought, but it was in his head now.

He wondered if Eren had ever considered it? The chaotic conclusion to his path with two lovers?

Rivaille found his head being smacked against the ground, the sting dragging him out of his thoughts, and he fixed Eren with a look of amusement. Only slightly dazed, he blinked the stars out of his eyes and wondered if Smith’s skull had cracked yet?

“What did I say?” Eren growled, guessing easily where Rivaille’s mind had wandered. “Don’t. Even. _Think_. About it.”

“But you could imagine it though, yes?” Rivaille grinned, making a grab for Eren’s head.

The brunet hissed but Rivaille had him, planting his wretched images, the teasing what-ifs and sinful could-bes, into Eren’s head. It was a fight just to keep a hold of the twerp, but by the time Eren yanked himself away the task was done. The thoughts were planted.

Eren staggered back, disoriented and stumbling, and Rivaille watched him go with a thrilled light in his eyes.

When the brunet was upright again, he scowled and shook his head. It looked like he was trying to banish the new thoughts with the action, but of course he was unsuccessful.

Eren levelled Rivaille with an icy glare. “You just had to play dirty.”

Rivaille rolled one shoulder in a shrug and ran his tongue over his teeth, missing the sharp edges that Erwin’s mouth did not possess.

“It’s the only way I play.” He admitted, shameless as ever.

“Oh great,” Levi drawled, reminding the other two that he was still there, “so you two are going desecrate Hanji’s front lawn with some creepy, mental foreplay now?”

“If you’d prefer to _join us_ instead of sitting on the sidelines..?” Rivaille trailed off, but the implied ‘that could be arranged’ hung heavily even in the silence.

Instead of balking like Rivaille expected, Levi just cocked an eyebrow at him and looked thoroughly unimpressed.

It made something thrash inside of Rivaille. He thought at first it was a vicious urge to show this human why he should be afraid, but upon closer inspection Rivaille sheepishly discovered it was something much worse.

And so he remained quiet and watchful as Eren turned away, letting his attention return to Levi.

“Please,” Eren implored the glaring raven, “please, Levi, go inside.”

Levi’s eyebrow rose higher and Rivaille sprawled Erwin’s form lazily on the grass to witness the lover’s spat.

“So you two can run off and get sticky somewhere?” Levi asked, most of his judgement aimed at Rivaille.

It didn’t bother him in the slightest, in fact Rivaille hummed his approval at the thought. The sound earned him a scowl from Levi and a hiss from Eren. Even without physically talking Rivaille was getting himself in trouble on two fronts. Yikes.

“I’ll be right here.” Eren tried to pacify the raven, hands held up in what was probably meant to be a calming gesture.

It didn’t seem to be working.

Levi glanced between the two demons perched on the lawn, frowning. His mind clearly wandered back over the sticky options he suspected they would get up to, and his lip curled in disapproval.

“Gross.” He muttered.

Rivaille couldn’t help but snicker at Eren’s frustrated sigh.

“We’re not going to do anything but talk.” Eren ground out, glowering back and forth between both Rivaille and Levi. “No one is getting sticky. For _any_ reason. We are talking. I swear to…oh I don’t know, nothing’s sacred anymore. Please, Levi. I’ll be right here. You can watch through the damned window, shoot me with Hanji’s shotgun if I so much as leave the yard for all I care. Just please, please go inside before I have a heart attack.”

Levi scoffed. “Sure. ‘Just talking.’ I’m not suspicious of you fucks at all.”

He trudged back into the house, regardless. Apparently Levi was done snarking for the day. Or for the moment, more likely. He slammed the door in wordless emphasis of how pissed off he was, and shortly afterwards the two demons heard the beginnings of a conversation starting from within the house.

Eren all but collapsed as relief hit him, half-crumpling onto the grass with a groan. His pet was out of the way and therefore safe, for now.

With that much established, Eren turned his head from where he lay on the grass and sent a weary glance Rivaille’s way.

“Why do you have to keep making things so difficult?” The brunet whimpered.

Rivaille flashed a smile without humour, wondering how the expression looked on Smith’s face.

“Me?” He drawled. “Oh no, sweetheart, this is all on you. _You’re_ the one who got someone else’s dick involved.” Rivaille paused, leaning back on his hands and frowning. “Well…technically we’re…similar, he and I. Does it still count as _my_ dick if it’s _him_ fucking you? These are the real questions.”

“Don’t.” Eren sighed.

“I’m only saying, it’s a confusing mess.” Rivaille said to the clouds. “And I blame you for all of it.”

Eren’s bristling was practically audible and Rivaille could almost feel the brunet scowling at him.

“That’s not fair.” Eren huffed.

“Fine.” Rivaille allowed. “Most of it, then.”

Eren made to sneer at him, but the expression morphed into something defeated halfway through. “Rivaille. It would have happened regardless of how you’d treated me. I’m beginning to accept that.”

“And I suppose you want me to accept that too? Is that what the little moping demon wants?”

Eren stared resolutely at the grass, troubled. Always the serious one nowadays.

Rivaille’s eyes narrowed, but he felt less at a loss after his little chat with Hunter. Somehow that human boy picked away at his problems like it was the easiest thing in the world, handing over answers and solutions without asking for anything in return.

“You need us both, huh?” Rivaille said, not missing the way Eren winced. “Did you consider our needs at all? I certainly don’t _need_ some third party getting in the way, I don’t think your beau does either.”

“You sure about that?” Eren scowled at him. “You got pretty damned graphic with those images before. Maybe I’m catering to your kinky, fucked up fantasies?”

Rivaille just rolled his eyes at that. “Don’t try to spin this back on me.”

Of all the things Rivaille would do to or with Eren, he’d never considered sharing before.

Eren sent him a helpless gesture. “I don’t know what to tell you.” The brunet said, running a hand through his hair and tugging at the strands in worry. “Just…don’t take him away from me.”

“Now why would I do that?” Rivaille asked, dry but honest.

He had nothing to gain from trying to rob Eren of Levi…though it had taken him this long to figure that much out.

In the grand scheme of things, Rivaille felt there wasn’t a lot for him to do. He glanced at the house behind Eren and considered racing in there and ripping Levi’s head right off his shoulders. A past version of himself might have done it without thought. But there and then, Rivaille considered what an action like that could cost him. If he killed Levi, he lost any chance of Eren staying with him more than what their nature demanded of them. Rivaille had already lived that way, with Eren on the run from him and the both of them kept company by empty nests and cold nights.

Threatening Eren, or even Levi, was also an option. But what could he possibly say? When death was the biggest threat out there and he’d already ruled it out…it left Rivaille feeling disgustingly helpless.

Then there was their current situation. For all the hype about how terrifying demons were, he and Eren were doing a poor job of appearing scary. Sitting there sulking, the both of them looked about as dangerous as moody cats.

“You said you liked him.” Eren said in a small voice, but even those quiet words sounded terrified. “Do you remember what happened to the last thing you decided you liked?”

Rivaille looked up at Eren and instantly he wished he hadn’t, because the brunet was the answer to his own question.

And he looked positively miserable.

“So needy.” Rivaille sighed, fixing an irritated stare on the house. “You won’t settle for either one of us, you won’t let me eat him. You drive a hard bargain, Eren.”

Eren looked like he agreed, but he didn’t dare admit it.

They were both terrible about facing their problems. Maybe Rivaille really should have taken Hunter on as their personal shrink? But then they’d probably give the poor kid nightmares with what their couple’s therapy would involve.

“This isn’t what we’re here to talk about.” Eren said, already steering away from the subject.

“But we need to talk about it.” Rivaille reminded him.

Eren cringed, hands balling into anxious fists in his lap.

“Later?” He asked, pleading for more time.

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Rivaille challenged, watching the brunet. “Do you really want to pile more secrets up, then land them all on me at once?” He raised an eyebrow and Eren shrank into himself, a picture of guilt. “You know you’re just making this harder for yourself?”

Eren nodded at the ground, unable to look at Rivaille with the weight of all his secrets bearing down on him.

“Will you at least promise to listen?” Eren asked, sounding more hopeless than ever. “When the time comes, can you do that for me instead of just losing it?”

He sounded so small and unsure that Rivaille felt a tight and unpleasant pressure in his chest, Eren’s pain mixing with his own discomfort at seeing the brunet so distraught.

“Don’t upset yourself.” Rivaille said, the gentle tone sounding strange to his own ears. “I can do anything you ask of me, Eren. Anything at all.”

Eren sniffled and Rivaille sent a helpless look towards the overcast sky. This miserable little demon was the sole hope for their world and their kind alike, and here he was wrapped up in a problem that managed to be so stupid and so important all at once. Wasting time on lust and lovers while the fate of two worlds hung in the balance.

It turned out no one was immune to love.

“Of all the creatures in Hell, how did I wind up following a big cry-baby brat?” Rivaille sighed, suppressing the urge to coddle Eren for the sake of not pissing off his human pet further. “How are you going to lead anyone?”

Eren didn’t have anything to say to that, but he seemed to pull himself together a little.

“Okay.” He said, shaking off whatever troubles were distracting him. “Okay…we’ve wasted enough time on this.” Finally Eren looked at Rivaille, his eyes grim but determined. “Tell me what you know.”

It was good to see even a sliver of that stubborn fire again.

“I can do one better than that, little one.” Rivaille grinned, tapping a finger against Erwin’s temple. “I’ll show you.”

Ordering Erwin to keep his eyes open while Eren leaned in to rifle through the memories Rivaille dragged up was easy. So was the mental slideshow of information that Rivaille let Eren wade through. Everything about Erwin’s plans, all his supposed information about demons and Hell, and the crackpot organisation that thought it could run an assault on Hell itself. All of it was Eren’s for the taking. There was barely an effort on Eren’s part; all the hard work had already been done.

It was immensely satisfying to be useful to Eren in this way. Rivaille was as much an attack dog as he was a messenger, and he hadn’t done anything productive in…had it really been centuries?

When Eren was done he leaned back, his eyes bright with satisfaction. Whatever he’d been hoping to find, it was clear he’d found it.

“This is more than I’d expected.” Eren admitted aloud, glancing up at Rivaille with thoughts racing through his head, mind already busy piecing together new details in his scheme. “It’s good, though. No, it’s fantastic.”

Rivaille cocked his head, Erwin’s head, it was all the same. Sometimes he just didn’t understand his little mate at all. Eren looked thrilled at what Rivaille had shown him, clearly the brunet saw potential where all the raven had seen was a minor inconvenience.

It spoke volumes on how differently their minds worked.

“You’re a strange one.” Rivaille said, a mix of exasperation and fondness in his tone. “A whole group of humans know about the existence of Hell and demons. Not many of our kind would consider that _fantastic_.” Silver eyes narrowed. “Just what are you planning?”

Eren looked back at him with a rare grin, almost frantic in his excitement.

“Oh you’d be proud of me.” He said, then gave a sheepish chuckle. “Well…probably not for the end part, but definitely this bit.”

Eren grabbed Erwin’s shoulders to shake Rivaille, making the raven aware of the countless fractures running through Smith’s bones that were being held together by magic alone at this point.

“It’s all coming together, Rivaille.” Eren said in hushed excitement.

It was rare to see him so lively. Rivaille didn’t dare look away from the boy.

“I’m glad to hear it.” He said genuinely, then purred. “We should celebrate.”

He got a mixed response to the suggestion – a flash of eagerness, a little lust, but mostly guilt and a sudden nervousness.

“I-I-I promised-” Eren started to stammer his way through excuses, already crowded by Rivaille.

His host’s body was rather intimidating, at least judging by the way Eren’s ears pressed back against his head. The brunet wasn’t at all fond of this form.

“I told L-Levi we were only going to talk, Rivaille, I promised him-”

“Nothing sticky, I remember.” Rivaille said with a roll of his eyes. “Your beau sure knows how to take the fun out of things.”

Eren raised an eyebrow at that, glaring a little. “Oh so you’d be completely fine if the roles were reversed and it was you watching him have his way with me? That wouldn’t bother you at all?”

Rivaille thought about it for a purposefully long moment and shrugged.

“Depends on the view.” He said, low and mischievous.

It took Eren off guard. “You’re awful.” The brunet said, though he didn’t sound all that disgusted.

“I think everyone knew that already.” Rivaille scoffed, frowning when a hand at his throat halted his attempted advance. “What now?”

Eren gave him a shifty look, nose wrinkling. “If we’re doing anything, it better not involve you staying in this meat suit.”

Rivaille thought about that, too, long enough that Eren smacked him up the side of the head with a little growl.

“Alright, alright,” Rivaille grumbled as he left the host body and reformed himself out of smoke, ignoring the sprawled and groaning heap that was Erwin, “I was just ruminating over possibilities.”

“Of course you were.”

They were limited to kissing for the most part in order to keep vaguely in line with Eren’s promise, though Rivaille made it plenty sticky.

He didn’t feel nearly as bad as he should have sticking his tongue down Eren’s throat in full view of the house’s front windows. Rivaille didn’t even bother checking if anyone was there to watch them. He didn’t care. After a day’s hard work extracting answers from Smith and all the days before that separated from Eren, Rivaille felt he deserved a little loving. And if Levi had anything to say about it, he was welcome to come and join them.

Rivaille felt he’d projected that last thought a little too strongly when he felt Eren growl against him. He just sought out one of the marks he’d left high on Eren’s thigh. With the pads of his fingers he pressed hard against a healed-over scar, an outline of Rivaille’s teeth, and listened to the moody sound morph into a choked whimper. Much better.

He left Eren’s mouth to mouth a lazy path down the brunet’s neck, amused at how breathless Eren was.

Then Eren let out a startled, aborted moan and Rivaille’s mouth tingled.

He frowned, feeling that something was off.

Eren had tensed a little, still breathing heavily, and he squirmed the longer Rivaille remained still.

It was magic. That’s what felt so strange, Rivaille realised.

Eren had himself covered in the stuff, had smothered himself in spells as well as he had with Levi…but for what? Rivaille felt suspicion rise again. His eyes darted to the house, his mind wandering to the humans inside…well, to one of them in particular.

Would Eren dare...?

“What could this concealing magic be for, hmm?” Rivaille hummed, laving his tongue over the crook of Eren’s neck, an unmarked patch of caramel skin.

It _looked_ unmarked, except for the fact that Eren had a high concentration of concealment magic there…and three other spots. Rivaille made a lazy trail, locating each spot and feeling suspicion thrash in his chest. He _knew_ what these were. No amount of distraction could have fooled him, he knew without thinking. But he couldn’t say it, neither of them could say it, without setting off something potentially explosive.

And he didn’t have proof…so to speak. This wasn’t proof.

But he’d have it eventually.

“Is there anything you’d like to tell me, little one?” Rivaille asked, teeth set against Eren’s skin while he waited.

Eren was silent, his scent thick with fear, guilt, and that fierce stubbornness that would be the death of them both.

Vibrations started, a shock against Rivaille’s mouth, and Eren was growling. Rivaille startled, he hadn’t expected Eren to be angry at him, and he let the younger demon throw him off without a fight.

“If you want to talk about anything, then we’re going to talk about _everything_.” Eren glowered, ready to fight with words as much as he would fight with fists. “So do _you_ have anything you’d like to tell me, Rivaille? Anything at all? Or can we move along, do as we planned, and discuss all the awful details _later_?”

Eren still hadn’t calmed his breathing, but his breathlessness was from anger rather than passion now.

Silver eyes narrowed into slits, irritation burning there.

“I never fail to underestimate you.” The raven murmured.

Eren bared his teeth. “Well that’s your stupid mistake, old man.”

Rivaille almost opened his mouth, almost started on the questions that burned to be let free. But no. There would be time for later, even if they had to _make_ time. Later was a promise.

And it was a promise they both intended to keep, even if it took them down a road they couldn’t come back from.

With no other options, Rivaille let go of a longsuffering sigh. He stood up, dusting himself off.

“Tell me what you wish of me.”

Eren still had a wary look to him, like he didn’t trust Rivaille not to change his mind and try to fight him. But neither of them moved to attack, and so Eren finally spoke.

“Erwin has his part to play, as you know.” He said, looking stern. “It’s important, even crucial, and as such I am entrusting you with the task of bringing Erwin to Hell.” Eren had paused before saying it, and he looked away now. The guilt was back. “Take him to Castle Jaeger and deliver him to my people. They’ll know what to do, even if they won’t be expecting you.”

Rivaille felt a single flare of white hot anger burn its way up his spine.

This was how Eren was going to repay him for his help, his efforts? The sneaky, conniving little brat had planned this, _exactly_ this scenario, from the moment Rivaille had stepped through into this world.

“You’re sending me back?” Rivaille asked, feeling incredibly foolish even as the words left his mouth.

Of course Eren would find a way to send him back, and make it so that Rivaille couldn’t say no without damaging the situation between them.

Eren at least managed to look at him, a thin mask of nonchalance in place. “Try not to bite anyone’s head off.”

He was trying very hard to appear calm. Collected. In control. Eren was doing everything in his power to seem like he didn’t have a worry in the world, like Rivaille couldn’t snap at any moment.

So Rivaille returned him the favour, only his calm façade was deadly.

“Eren.” He said the name so flatly and with such accusation that the brunet cringed. “I know you think you’re very clever, but I’m not stupid.”

Eren swallowed audibly. “I’m well aware of that.”

“Is that why we’re talking around the issue at hand?”

“It’s a matter of trust.” Eren continued to evade. “I want you to deliver him.”

“And that’s all?” He must have looked worrying because Eren couldn’t look at him anymore. “Going back to that wasteland of a prison is what it will take for you to trust me?”

“You said you’d do anything I asked.” Eren wrung his hands, slow but nervous.

At any moment his plan could backfire.

“I said I _could_ do anything you asked.” Rivaille corrected. “I’m _capable_ of doing anything you ask of me, but that doesn’t mean that I _will_ do it.”

Eren stared at his lap, deliberating. He swallowed again and shut his eyes.

“What if it’s in your best interest?” The brunet asked after a moment.

Rivaille raised an eyebrow at him, not that Eren could see it. “You mean your best interest.”

“I’ll come back.” Eren said, and the silence that fell after his words was deafening.

It both did and didn’t sound like surrender, and Rivaille was made suspicious all over again. Just how many layers were there to Eren’s plan?

And was this just another one of those layers?

“To Hell?” Rivaille clarified.

Eren ducked his head in a nod. “Yes.”

“With me?”

Another nod. “A little while after-” Eren paused briefly at Rivaille’s seething growl, wincing, but continued, “I have business to take care of.” With a slow exhale, Eren looked at Rivaille at last. “Then I will return to Hell and I promise I won’t be hiding.”

The silver-eyed demon gave a wry scoff. “That would be a first.”

Eren said nothing of the comment, sending Rivaille a pleading look.

“Just be patient.” He begged. “I’ll be there, I have to be for all this to work. I wouldn’t lie about this.”

“Just about everything else?” Rivaille asked, intentionally accusing.

Surprisingly, Eren gave a small smile. “Always about everything else.” He looked down, sad and at the same time not. “It’ll be for our own good, I’m sure.”

Rivaille stared for a long moment, but that was all Eren had to say.

The raven didn’t sigh, but he felt the same as if he had. “Alright then, you little crazy.” He said, quiet. Accepting of his fate, whatever it might be in the end. “I’ll play delivery for you,” Rivaille paced over to where Eren still sat, sliding a clawed finger under the younger demon’s chin to tilt his head up and hold his gaze, “and then I’ll be waiting.”

Eren smiled up at him but for once Rivaille couldn’t read what he was thinking.

“Impatiently, I’m sure.” The brunet commented.

Whatever the future held, Rivaille felt he wouldn’t like it one bit.

And there wasn’t a damned thing he could do about that now.

Trudging back over to the sprawled and barely-conscious body of Erwin, Rivaille heaved the man up with ease.

“Catch you later, Eren.” Rivaille said, and even as he was evaporating to search for a mirror he caught Eren’s whispered reply.

“I know you will.”

 

 

 

Life had been a bit of a bitch to Hunter Jeroen lately, but the most recent days had been…surprisingly nice.

Well they’d certainly been surprising. Maybe not all that nice to begin with, given the whole ‘meeting a demon’ incident. But after that had all been explained and he hadn’t been eaten, Hunter decided the rest was pretty nice.

He had a roof over his head again and that was great because it had been storming a lot recently. Geez, what was up with the weather lately?

Mrs. Norman was an easy soul to live with, though that was probably helped by the fact that Hunter tended to head out during the days. At night he mostly sat up in the attic, his makeshift room, and listened to the old lady watching her crummy reality TV shows and soap operas. It was better listening to them, since he could make up his own imagery and keep himself entertained till Mrs. Norman headed to bed around nine. Like clockwork, every single night. There was a chart for it any everything, which is how Hunter had even realised that the old lady had a schedule.

Life was predictable once more…and that was nice.

Living with the cats was interesting. They knew he was there, Hunter was sure of it. He hadn’t learned their names yet, though he was sure they’d stick given time. One of them, the smallest, had wandered right up into the attic and sat there…just meowing at him for over an hour. It was little and mottled, with these intense green eyes. When Hunter finally caved and reached over to pet it, the little fucker had trotted off, apparently satisfied that he wasn’t a statue.

He’d dozed off after that and woken up with a lap full of cats, being stared at by the little mottled one from where it had perched on his right knee.

Hunter assumed this one was the ringleader.

The whole damned pack of them had gone scrambling off the second Mrs. Norman had started calling them for dinner. Hunter had been left to his own devices once more.

Cats were weird.

He liked them, though. They were good company, if nothing else.

When Hunter didn’t necessarily want company, he went walking. Like today. There were markets nearby, almost always bustling with people, and Hunter had grown to like wandering amidst the throng of people. He had fun watching people avoid him for no reason, everyone’s path led them around him. In the chaos of the marketplace, Hunter’s personal space was a little pocket of calm.

It was funny to watch. If he bumped into people, they got this confused look on their face before hurrying on.

Being a sort-of ghost was entertaining.

But today…something felt weird.

Hunter felt off, his skin crawled for no good reason and he couldn’t find a single thing wrong when he looked around. The brunet scanned the crowd over and over again. Nada. Nothing out of place. No one acting weird…well, except for Hunter maybe.

He was considering just heading back to the house and calling it a day when, finally, he found what was bothering him.

There was a guy, tall and pretty rugged-looking. The dude looked like he’d been through Hell and back, all ruffled and…was that blood? But that wasn’t even the weird part. No, what had set Hunter on edge was the fact that this man was staring in his direction. He was just looking right at him, not through him like most people did now thanks to Rivaille’s helpful little spell.

Hunter’s eyes widened.

Holy shit, this guy could _see_ him! Was this one of the church crazies? Or some rogue demon hunter? Had this creepy dude been around enough demons or magic hoodoo or whatever that he could see through Rivaille’s spell?

He must have, because now the guy was heading right for him. Crap, _crap_!

Act natural, Hunter thought. He resumed walking, trying not to rush. The crowd still parted just around him, making it easy to move. Still Hunter was just about speed walking by the time he reached a corner and he ducked around it quickly, breaking into a run.

He spied another alley branching off the street, somewhere he could perhaps hide. Hunter skidded into the narrow alley and bolted about three steps only to suddenly slam straight into-the guy! Shit! The creepy bastard was right in front of Hunter now and he looked a lot more fucked up this close. Bleeding from the nose, the ears; all the skin Hunter could see was covered in blotchy bruising. Hunter made to scream, voice cracking uselessly, and a hand was clapped across the brunet’s mouth before he could even process what had happened. His attempt at screaming for help was futile, since no one else would have been able to hear him anyway, and it was only muffled by the massive hand clamped across his jaw.

Hunter stared in wide-eyed horror as the stranger loomed closer, something exasperated shifting their previously blank expression.

“Relax.” The man said, his voice a whole other level of scary. “ _It’s me_ , moron.”

Hunter blinked, heart beating out of control in his chest as he stared.

And it was…weird. Weird because on the one hand, Hunter had never even seen this man before let alone heard him speak. But he knew for a fact that they were strangers. And yet that voice was laced with something startlingly familiar.

It’s me? What the fuck did that mean? Unless…oh for fuck’s sake.

Hunter tugged at the hand covering his mouth, frowning into blue eyes until the man let him speak.

“R-Rivaille?” Hunter asked a little suspiciously, mostly taken over by surprise.

When the strange man grinned and leaned away, Hunter knew he was right. The big oaf stopped crowding him, gave Hunter a little room to breathe, completely unconcerned with the sudden flurry of curse words that fell out of Hunter’s mouth in a mix of relief and frustration. The little twirl the man gave to show off his new form only confirmed the brunet’s suspicions.

“Not too shabby, don’t you think?”

Yep that was definitely Rivaille in there.

Hunter let go of a huge breath, that flighty panic slowly ebbing. He doubled over, hands on his knees, and breathed hard for a moment before glaring up at Rivaille.

Yes he actually had to glare _up_ at the bastard now that he was tall.

“What the actual _hell_ , man!” He shouted, still a bit winded from running and fright. “I almost had a heart attack!”

The man may have looked nothing like Rivaille, but the way he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms was exactly the same.

“Calm down.” Was all Rivaille had to say.

He watched as Hunter stumbled around muttering the occasional swear and shooting filthy glances until he was relatively calm. The brunet stalked up to Rivaille, squinting as he gave him a dubious once-over.

“You look fucking awful.” Hunter screwed up his nose at the sight of Rivaille’s current…host. The guy was big, but he looked worse for ware, more bruises than skin at this point. But Rivaille offered no explanation, in fact he said nothing at all, so Hunter figured it didn’t warrant asking about. “What is it, then? Or did you track me down for the sole purpose of trying to scare me to death?”

“We need to talk.” Rivaille sounded weird, but he didn’t care to explain that either. “I know why I didn’t kill you back in that alley.”

The statement surprised Hunter and he instantly felt wary. He tensed, ready to bolt though he knew running had gotten him nowhere with Rivaille in the past.

“Oh yeah?” He tilted his head back to glare. “Going to kill me now?”

Rivaille scoffed at him. “Don’t be so paranoid. Why would I kill my only ticket back here?”

That last part Rivaille seemed to have been muttering mostly to himself. Hunter heard it all the same and he frowned.

“What do you mean back here?” He asked. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Somewhere, yes.” Rivaille said distractedly, shutting his eyes as if to concentrate. “Somewhere it’s tricky to come back from, but I think I’ve found a little workaround. In the meantime, I wanted to give you something.” Rivaille paused and opened his eyes to give Hunter an odd look, “…don’t panic.”

Hunter had about a second to prepare himself for whatever Rivaille was going to drop on him before the stranger’s face twisted. A rush of thick, dark smoke came pouring out of the blonde’s mouth, his nostrils, ears, even his eyes and the man crumpled to the ground. He lay there, barely moving, groaning in quiet agony. Hunter saw blood spatter the pavement, but the guy was still breathing. Barely.

Hunter choked on a noise of alarm.

The smoke suddenly condensed itself into a familiar figure and Rivaille sent the boy a mirthful glance as he materialised. Back to his more familiar self. At least some things didn’t change. He didn’t seem to concerned with his human suit that was still coughing and crying out on the ground.

“Is he going to be okay?” Hunter asked, eyes wide in alarm.

“Gosh I hope not.” Rivaille sneered down at the blonde, stamping a foot over his lower back until there was an audible crunch and the man screamed out a horrible high sound that made Hunter’s skin crawl. “Don’t waste your concern on this one; he’s the reason those _fanatics_ were after you.”

Hunter was given no time to process that.

“Are you squeamish?”

“What?” Hunter blinked, confused at the sudden change of topic. “Not really, why-”

In the next instant Rivaille took careful hold of one of his claws, tearing it away from the rest of his finger before Hunter could even ask what he’d planned to do. He barely bled, somehow. The raven’s eyes slitted but otherwise he didn’t acknowledge that he even felt anything at all. Hunter felt like he might be sick. Holding the newly retrieved claw in the flat of his palm, Rivaille muttered a few low words that Hunter didn’t bother trying to understand and the almost black blood evaporated from the removed talon.

A new claw was already growing back on Rivaille’s finger. It was weird and gross but Hunter couldn’t look away. The new claw was fully grown before the boy knew it, and Rivaille reached out and took hold of one of Hunter’s hands.

He placed the removed claw there, curling Hunter’s fingers around it.

“This is for you.” Rivaille said simply, like he hadn’t just ripped his own damned demonic fingernail off a second ago. “I need you to keep it with you at all times.”

Hunter blinked, then squinted at the raven.

“First off, that was disgusting.” He said curtly. “Secondly, why do I need to keep this?” Hunter couldn’t look at the claw yet, not wanting to gross himself out with the memory of what had just transpired. “That’s kind of a suspicious thing to do, just having a huge-ass claw on me at all times.”

Rivaille blinked back at him. “If you would prefer a charm of some sort, or perhaps a weapon, I could arrange that.”

Hunter squinted harder, then shook his head. “I’m not even going to ask.”

A huff sounded, Rivaille was getting frustrated.

“Will you keep it?” He asked. “I need to know now, time is short.”

“Yes, I’ll keep your weird gift. Sheesh.” Hunter rolled his eyes. “Not like anyone’s going to see me and freak out about it.”

He uncurled his fingers and risked a glance at the claw. It was a weird gift. What was it even for?

What could be so important that Rivaille had tracked his ass down just to rip out one of his own claws as a present? Demons, man. They were too messed up.

At Rivaille’s insistence, Hunter curled his fingers back around the claw. The silver-eyed demon worked another quiet spell over Hunter’s closed hand and when he instructed Hunter to open said hand there was a length of cord there. The gift would pass for a necklace now. The leathery cord passed right through the thicker end of Rivaille’s removed claw so that it could act as some sort of decorative piece.

Hunter shook his head again.

“Weird, but I’ll admit that’s kind of cool.” He touched a finger to the cord, surprised at how real it felt. Maybe it was real, who knew how magic worked. “What’s it for?”

“Communication, in a way.” Rivaille answered vaguely. “You’ll know if I ever need to speak to you, and I’ll know if you’re ever in any real danger. Don’t resist what you feel, and everything will be alright.”

Hunter nodded. “Follow the ghostly pull. Got it.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that, but I like my insurance policies. Keep that safe. I have to leave.”

And that was that, apparently. With a cryptic last few sentences, Rivaille announced his departure.

Rivaille pressed a bare foot over the shoulder of the blonde still sprawled on the ground, digging clawed toes in as if to grip him better. With a rush of static and a curl of smoke, the two figures were gone.

Hunter stood alone again, shaking his head.

He stared down at the necklace in his palm, the claw heavy. It was black and smooth, curving to a point at the end, but wasn’t sharp to touch. Hunter figured it was less dangerous now that it wasn’t attached to a demon’s body; Rivaille wouldn’t have handed him the equivalent of a knife to wear around his neck.

Or maybe he would.

Maybe this was worse, how would he even tell?

Lifting the trinket by the cord, Hunter slipped it on. He tucked the claw itself beneath his shirt, feeling the weight of it there and wondering when he would grow used to its presence.

What a weird and complicated world he lived in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I goddamned love this chapter.


	65. The Enemy Of My Boyfriend Is My...Minion?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief Armin POV, anyone?

 

 

Armin was not an optimist, and he hated what the signs were telling him.

No matter how long he sat staring, pouring over the rare maps of Hell again and again, they revealed on the one answer.

Their final showdown would take place at the centre.

The molten core itself. A single, towering peak that reached towards the burning sky itself, hollowed out to act as the most formidable fortress the demon world had ever seen. It could be seen from any point of Hell’s borders, a massive shadowy mountain looming in the distance. This lone peak housed the last remaining titan and its armies. The centre of Hell was easily to defend, which would make their planned assault already decently impossible. Their enemy wouldn’t even need to call on its massive armies. To wipe out the invaders, all it would need to do was reach a massive hand out of its mountain fortress and haul them in, hundreds of them at a time.

They would all be reduced to morsels before the end.

To take on the last titan was a suicide mission. It always had been. But for whatever reason, Eren had made no mention of abandoning the plan to attack. On the contrary, it was full steam ahead.

Gather the masses. Prepare Hell’s children for war.

It was going to be chaos.

On top of his already exceedingly long list of things to be worried about, Armin mentally noted that Eren was late.

The brunet kept in close contact with his people through Armin, mostly. They were close enough that Eren could easily communicate his instructions to Armin’s mind even from a world away. In this way, Eren had told Armin to be prepared for a special guest. A human, he’d said, that would help to change the tide of the final battle.

And yet…Eren wasn’t here. He’d given a precise time of arrival.

The brunet just hadn’t had the courtesy to show up.

Castle Jaeger was mostly emptied in preparation of the guest, regardless of Eren’s no-show attitude. It was only a few hours, he might show up. Armin was prepared either way. He fully intended to stare at his maps and wring out some kind of strategy to get them into the Centre until something else came up.

He didn’t expect that something else to come up so suddenly.

Or so violently.

With a piercing whistling noise serving as the only warning to their approach, someone came barrelling through the ceiling of Castle Jaeger.

Armin outright yelped as debris rained down towards the other end of the great hall. The room shook briefly. From the newly gaping hole in the ceiling, orange-tinted light poured through. A figure was already getting to their feet amidst the rubble and chaos of their own entrance, coughing or…possibly laughing.

“Okay…even I’ll admit that one hurt. Though you make a good sun deflector, Smith.”

The voice was unfamiliar, but the dual-resonance told Armin all he needed to know. This being was Eren’s messenger, and the form they were so clearly possessing had to be Eren’s guest.

And goodness did said guest look worse for wear.

The mangled body heaved itself from the rubble with a sound not unlike a groan but not quite unlike a laugh. The body was human, though the one controlling it was certainly not. No human would be even remotely amused at hurtling in through the roof, especially not given the toll it had taken on them. Armin did not flinch at the sight of bones realigning or skin sewing itself back together. It wasn’t uncommon for a demon to bring at least a little abuse to their hosts, though this was a little…extreme. The host did have to survive for Armin to be able to complete his work.

Armin had heard some things about this human he was to work on. It wouldn’t be a particularly pleasant task…for the human. But even Armin hadn’t expected Eren to approve of such hostile actions towards the man.

Clearly there was something personal about this one.

Finally the figure straightened with a last, muffled crunch of bone and cartilage.

The eyes that snapped over to Armin were an unfamiliar blue, but they held a familiar mischief. For some reason, Armin felt the burning urge to flee.

The stranger gave a low chuckle, eyeing the damage they’d caused. “I don’t suppose you’d believe me if I said I come in peace?”

Armin’s eyes widened, then narrowed, as he recalled the last time anyone had had the gall to come bursting into their lives quite so literally.

“Rivaille.” He greeted coldly, eyeing the demon donning his latest victim. “I might believe you; you did leave the door intact this time, though I can’t say the same for the ceiling.”

A rare flicker of approval flashed in blue eyes and Rivaille grinned with the stranger’s face.

“I never could fool you.” The demon grinned, the teeth on display stained with red. “It’s no wonder Eren keeps you around.”

Armin raised an eyebrow. “What’s with the…costume?”

“Ah yes.” Rivaille said, looking down at himself as if only just remembering that he was in someone else’s flesh. “Rather dashing, don’t you think?” He said, giving a spin. “Not quite to my tastes, though I’m told he might be to yours. I come bearing gifts from your master.”

The suspicion had yet to leave Armin’s gaze, blue eyes holding Rivaille’s in a steady stare.

So Rivaille was here on Eren’s business? How unlikely.

The raven had never done anything of the sort before and Armin was hesitant to trust his word.

“Eren said he’d be coming himself.” The blonde’s pupils narrowed further, mind working overtime to run through a thousand and one possibilities that could have led Rivaille there. “What have you done?”

The tone wasn’t exactly accusing, more a suspicious curiosity.

Rivaille held up his hands in a vaguely pacifying gesture. “Nothing but what Eren asked of me, though I was in the way for a moment I suppose.” He rushed out of the host body in a burst of thick smoke, lazily reforming even as he spoke. “This one is for you. A present from Eren, and he informed me you’d already be aware of what to do?”

For a moment all Armin could do was stare at the suddenly unshrouded figure of Rivaille. He had never dropped his guise before, always a mystery lurking behind living smoke. What was even stranger was that there was no flare to the reveal.

It wasn’t a reveal at all, Armin realised. Rivaille just had his guard down.

The raven winced at the glaring light that still shone through from the hole in the ceiling, bristling as he sought out a shadowy corner to lurk in. With an irritated flick of his fingers, Rivaille set his magic to repairing the damaged roof. It wasn’t an apology, he just couldn’t stand the burning light. The heat.

It was why he’d always kept himself protected in his smoke. Eren had told Armin as much.

Yet today he didn’t bother? It was beyond bizarre. There was something off about the wraith today. He wasn’t acting anything like himself, what with all this making sense and being…reasonable. Even chatty.

With one last doubtful frown, Armin huffed.

He supposed Rivaille might as well be telling him the truth, and that nothing was amiss. Why else would he turn up on Eren’s behalf?

“I was beginning to think he’d changed his mind on the issue.” Armin muttered, stalking past the preening raven to inspect the human delivery. “He was taking an awfully long time bringing in one measly human.”

At his feet, the human barely breathed. A crumpled pile of ruined life, all but snuffed out thanks to Rivaille. But the raven wouldn’t let him die. Rivaille sure had done a number on him, but the male would survive. For Armin’s purposes, the human only needed the very barest sliver of life.

Armin prodded the man with a clawed foot, hearing a protesting gurgle immediately. He rolled his eyes and shot Rivaille a glare.

“Did you have to go so far?” Armin griped, grabbing hold of one of the human’s ankles to drag him free of the rubble.

The dark-haired demon didn’t move to help him, watching the human with a look of satisfaction burning in his eyes.

“He was asking for it, trust me.” Rivaille said belatedly, not even trying to appear sorry. “Eren only wanted him alive, not whole.”

“What’s so great about this one that’s taken Eren so long to deliver him?” Armin asked, passing by Rivaille easily with their guest in hand.

“You know how Eren is.” Rivaille answered, and there was the familiar bitterness that Armin had expected from the start. “He’s meticulous but oh so easily…distracted.”

Armin glowered ahead. He knew all about Eren’s distractions on the other side. Temptations of the flesh and all that. Even so, this was a bit excessive. How one human could keep Eren from his plans so thoroughly was a mystery to the blonde. And yet time and time again Eren returned for his precious human.

“Again with the mortal?” Armin nearly growled. “Does he never tire of their stink?”

Eren’s recent infatuation with one of the mortals was…inconvenient. It kept him away from Hell, away from the plans. They could get by with long distance communication, and they were, but everything would be so much simpler if Eren were there.

This whole crazy idea had come from Eren in the first place. Prevent Hell’s takeover of the living world. Risk all their lives for some crazy suicide mission, all for the sake of a world full of mortals that didn’t know any better. It was _Eren’s_ plan. And yet more often than not Armin found himself paving the way for them while his master played house with his human. But how long would it stay that way? For Eren to still be away…it had to be more than mere infatuation by now.

That presented problems.

If Eren wanted to keep his human, he would have to turn him. Armin knew he could do it, would do it eventually if his fondness of the mortal didn’t fade. After all it had to have crossed his mind by now. Eren had talked with Armin about the benefits of their venom – a little secret that he and the blonde shared. Venomous demons were rare. They shared everything they knew. And of course, Eren had told him about his little…idea. How he might consider keeping his human with him.

The mention of taking the new demon on as his mate had startled even Armin. He didn’t think it would be possible, after all such ties were gifts of fate. They couldn’t be forced.

And yet if anyone could pull it off and make the impossible happen, it would be Eren.

That boy could call the stars from the sky if he wished it.

At a whim, he could command the will of nightmares themselves.

Looking at Rivaille, Armin figured Eren had already achieved that particular impossibility.

Armin sighed. He knew all the messy details that Eren worried over. How his fated mate and this human held different portions of an old soul, someone that Eren’s very being was tied to. If he wanted it badly enough, if he made the right sacrifices, Eren could have them both. Armin was sure of it.

But would _they_ accept it? His twin lovers?

Armin didn’t know much about _Levi_ , other than that was his name. But he knew Rivaille well enough to predict that things would not end well for them. Rivaille had never enjoyed sharing. Armin couldn’t even begin to imagine how much Rivaille would despise the idea of sharing Eren.

But perhaps the two reflections could get along?

It seemed unlikely.

“To his credit, Eren’s precious pet smells pretty good.” Rivaille commented after a long silence.

It was such a casual statement that Armin paused, turning to cast a dubious glance back at the raven. Rivaille looked thoughtful. There were no traces of anger, hidden or otherwise.

“I didn’t expect you of people to handle his infatuation well.” Armin mentioned, narrowing his eyes. “Are you sure you’re Rivaille?”

The silver-eyed demon gave a dry laugh, though he didn’t look amused.

“Do you want me to prove it to you?” He asked, rolling his shoulders as if in preparation for a fight.

Without so much as flinching, Armin dropped the human’s leg he’d been using to haul the man along with. He turned to face Rivaille properly, eyes slitted, and crossed his arms.

The look he sent the raven was nothing short of a challenge.

“Start something,” he said, not bothering to raise his voice, “I’d love nothing more than to be the reason why Eren never speaks to you again.”

It was an underhanded tactic, but it saved Armin’s skin. In a real fight, there was no scenario in which Armin would survive against Rivaille. He was a much younger demon with far less power. Rivaille could have killed him before Armin would even know what had happened. But now there was a rare loophole. It was something that Armin had every intention of exploiting. Rivaille didn’t stand a chance once Eren was brought into things, particularly now that they had sealed their bond as mates. Like it or not, Rivaille was already infallibly loyal.

And monster or not, it would break him to lose his fated in even a small way.

Armin could see the raven working over the options in his head, coming to the same conclusion as Armin had. He was surprisingly calm about it.

Unnervingly so. Rivaille wasn’t calm, he was never calm.

What was Eren _doing_ to this creature?

“Get on with your duty.” Rivaille muttered at last with a dismissive flick of his head.

Not even an insult to go with it. Armin blinked hard and wondered if he wasn’t going crazy himself.

“Stick around.” The little blonde uttered, stooping to haul up his new human once more. “You might just learn something.”

Rivaille’s scoff followed him all the way to the other end of the hall. “I doubt it, sapling.”

There was a hint of the old smugness back. Hell hadn’t frozen over, thank goodness.

Dumping the human in the space he’d prepared, Armin sent Rivaille a thrilled grin.

“At the very least I think you’ll be suitably… _entertained_.”

 

 

For a lack of anything better to do, Rivaille did end up sticking around. He had no other instructions other than to await Eren’s return from this point onwards, and it vexed him to think about that.

Back in Hell. Away from the softer sun he already missed.

Eren had played him good, clever little vixen that he was. Once again there was an inescapable barrier erected between Rivaille and Levi, for that was the only reason Eren had to keep him so thoroughly trapped.

But Hunter changed all that. Hunter changed everything. And to think, if Eren hadn’t forgotten all about his own reflection when he’d gone to the living world then Rivaille really would have been stuck.

Rivaille only had this new little loophole thanks to Eren’s carelessness.

For once, Rivaille was glad that his little mate hadn’t thought of everything. Glad, too, that Hunter’s existence remained a secret. Rivaille had been distracted with the thoughts of delivering his good news and new prisoner to Eren that he hadn’t mentioned the trauma Eren’s actions had unknowingly caused. And then Eren’s little ploy had become obvious. He wanted Rivaille back in Hell. Dependant on Eren for any access to the human world, which he would most likely not grant if only to keep his human safe.

His human. Well, Rivaille doubted very much that Levi was completely human anymore.

He refused to think about that more than to acknowledge it. Anger would not help him. If his suspicions were correct and Levi had been turned, then there was nothing Rivaille could do about that. Best to accept it. He’d have to find out for certain, though.

And if he ever got the chance, Hunter would be all too willing to open the Way Through for him.

For the moment, even despite the unfavourable circumstances, Rivaille felt good about his options.

Then there was the current situation.

Armin’s task of breaking Erwin in.

The end of the great hall was cleared for the most part, and Rivaille watched the little blonde drag Erwin there. He dumped the man in the middle of the floor and busied himself with a table, organising the few items sitting there. An empty syringe, a vial, a bowl filled with water, and a cloth.

Rivaille watched the younger demon pick up the vial, so far empty.

“You’re being pretty obedient of late.” Armin remarked as he turned around, vial in hand. “Returning to Hell to be imprisoned by your own strength? And without even a fuss?”

The twerp was mocking him blatantly, but all Rivaille did was grin at him.

Silent and unsettling.

He would let Armin have his little jibes, given that the blonde was so crucial to Eren’s schemes.

“Care to explain what this whole mess is about?” Rivaille diverted away from Armin’s petty comments, gesturing to the room.

Armin smirked back at him and brought the vial up to his mouth. One of his canines sharpened further, elongating just a little, and Armin held the vial under it to catch a sudden stream of gloopy green liquid. It was a sickly colour and filled the vial surprisingly quickly.

So then, this was venom.

Rivaille wondered at the odd method of extraction, but clearly Armin did not plan to indulge in even the intimacy of a bite with a creature that had not earned it. Watching someone be turned into a demon this way was something Rivaille had yet to witness. Armin hadn’t tried to send him off yet, so the raven figured now would be the time to find out how it was done.

Though with Armin’s methods, it was clear that the venom would be doing most of the work.

“This way there will be no tell-tale bite shaped scar. It’ll raise less questions.” Armin explained helpfully, clearly having noticed Rivaille’s interest.

The blonde was busy extracting the green liquid from the vial with the syringe, and when he was done he turned to where Erwin lay.

Near-silent but for his laboured breathing, Erwin was conscious enough to watch them. He made for a miserable sight, battered and bruised almost beyond recognition. Rivaille was delighted to have been the cause of it all. And now he would get to witness the next stage in Erwin’s torment, all at the hands of this willowy little demon.

Rivaille knew better than to believe the appearance. Armin looked like a wisp of a creature but he was no weakling, and Rivaille knew just how devious the little blonde could be.

Eren valued him for a reason.

And now Rivaille had the privilege of witnessing Hell’s next best fiend. When it came to reconditioning, Armin was second to just one.

And they were both under the same roof now.

“We’re going to have a little fun educating Mr. Smith, here.” Armin said finally, testing the newly filled syringe. He licked away the bit of venom that oozed from the top, making a face. “Today’s topic: how does a human become a demon?”

Rivaille slumped down against one of the benches that lined the walls, relaxing into the seat. He had a feeling he was going to enjoy this particular show.

On the floor, Erwin’s gaze was locked on the syringe.

“Well, Mr. Smith?” Armin smiled down at the crumpled man, tipping Erwin’s chin back with a foot so that their eyes met. “Do you know how one of your kind becomes one of ours?”

Erwin did nothing but groan and Armin took it in stride.

“There are two ways.” He began. “First; a human leads a life of unforgivable sin and their soul ends up here where they are to exist in Hell as penance. Second; they are turned, transformed, by someone who is already a demon. This is the less common option, as very few demons possess the venomous quality that allows them to convert a living humans into a demonic being. The process is slow and often very painful. The resulting demon’s existence is tied to that of the demon who created them, their master for all intents and purposes.” Armin crouched and his smile was gone, replaced with something lazy. “Can you guess which option you’re going to experience, Mr. Smith?”

No answer came, but they all knew.

Without another word, Armin stuck the needle into Erwin’s neck and emptied the syringe.

The screaming started moments later and Rivaille let go of a deep sigh.

Music to his ears.

 

 

Rivaille wasn’t trying hard enough to keep track of time to know how long it had been on the other side, but the day was almost over in Hell.

Armin had been hard at work all day, rooting around in Erwin’s mind while the man was at his most vulnerable. The transformation seemed to be excruciating. It made Erwin writhe despite his brittle bones and scream his charred lungs bloody. Or maybe some of that pain was the fact that Armin was digging about in his brain without care. The blonde had a mission. He had to know this human inside and out, be aware of his every last secret, and he had to find out everything while Erwin was still changing. There was no chance of resistance that way.

Not that Erwin would have a chance of saying no to Armin once he was reborn as Hellkin.

Minions, as Erwin would soon be, had very little control over themselves. Mostly because they were tied directly to the will of their creator and master, destined for whatever purpose they would be set upon.

A minion’s thoughts were still their own, but their actions were dictated by their masters.

For now Armin was working through every last thought, memory, and experience that Erwin Smith had had from the moment his mind started working up till the last second. Rivaille should have figured he was one to multitask. His hands were as busy as his mind, putting the bowl and washrag from the table to good use.

The water had long since gone red, but at least Erwin didn’t look like a bloody mess anymore.

As Armin’s newest possession, it wouldn’t do to have an unclean minion.

The castle had been echoing with screams for the better part of the day, and finally in the late afternoon it drew some attention.

Rivaille heard her coming, frantic and fast.

He was ready with a gleeful smile when Mikasa came bursting through the doors at the far end of the hall, her eyes wide and dark. Her gaze snapped to him immediately and she froze.

But the anger melted away. It was replaced by shock and confusion.

Rivaille’s smile grew.

It wasn’t every day that someone came across a room full of screams in Hell, with Rivaille sitting around and _not_ being the cause of said screams. Even Rivaille felt a little at odds with himself. He watched Mikasa puzzle over it, a deep frown etched into her normally controlled features. More than that, though, she couldn’t stop staring.

“You look just like him.” She said finally, a lot closer all of a sudden. “Eren’s human.”

Rivaille’s grin wavered and he sneered after a moment. Even here he couldn’t escape reminders of Levi.

“Funny that.” He said tonelessly.

“He always did have terrible taste.” Mikasa commented.

Rivaille was surprised at the joke. Well it obviously wasn’t entirely humour, but the fact that Mikasa would say something so bold to his face was very telling.

This whole ‘playing nice’ bit really didn’t help his image.

Everyone seemed to be able to read Rivaille’s mood today. As irritated as he was, there was no killing light in his eyes. Rivaille was just tired. He didn’t protest when Mikasa took a seat next to him, playing casual but keeping a wary eye on him at all times. She was smart. Always had been. Eren had been surrounding himself with different kinds of clever people. Armin had the eye for strategy. Mikasa, she could read people like no one else.

It was how she knew that sitting next to the infamous wraith wouldn’t get her killed today.

“I should have known that you’d know about him.” The silver-eyed demon muttered.

“Long before _you_ knew about him.” Mikasa said, like she was actively trying to get on his murder list. Rivaille just huffed at the ceiling. “I’ve wondered since then…just how alike you two would be.”

“It’s uncanny, isn’t it.” Rivaille murmured.

There was a quiet moment in which Rivaille could practically hear Mikasa observing him.

“After all the hype, you’re both just a pair of tired old men.” She said at last, and where Rivaille had expected disappointment he found none.

Of all things, Mikasa preferred Eren’s choice of bonding partners when it turned out they weren’t such a big bad monster after all.

Rivaille barked a laugh, conceding defeat on that issue. He’d seen it too, with his own eyes. While Levi was a young soul in comparison, he had the same weariness that Rivaille felt. If left to their own devices, their lives would no doubt be overwhelmingly boring. Routine, no doubt. Just trying to get by, day after day. The old survival game.

It had always been what crippled them.

No wonder they’d both fallen for the ever-jubilant Eren. Damned kid, he had enough energy for the both of them and more.

“I’m surprised to see you here after your taste of freedom.” Mikasa admitted, and she was watching him when Rivaille glanced her way.

He narrowed his eyes. “It does seem to be the running theme of the day.” Rivaille muttered, sitting up straighter. “No one expected me to get out, but no one expected me to return either.”

The ravenette nodded her agreement.

“They say it’s addictive, being out of the cage.” She said, but Rivaille caught the question.

Mikasa wanted to know, for whatever reason, how Rivaille had found the living world in his brief stay there. She’d no doubt crossed over many times. That made Rivaille curious as to why she’d bother asking him about it. Was she taking an interest? Now of all times, would the icy fiend look to start a fragile comradery?

“They’d be right.” Rivaille answered.

He didn’t bother with the details.

“Not enough to stop you from coming back.” Mikasa mentioned, almost offhanded. “And you left the living world in one piece, I hear?”

Rivaille shrugged. “It’s still turning.”

For all the damage he could have done, Rivaille had been relatively tame in his…holiday ventures. He liked the living world. He liked its friendly sunshine, the kind that didn’t try to fry him alive, and the way the world was packed full of ignorant and tasty morsels. And Eren, who thrived there. Rivaille could have easily made a home in that world.

But naturally things were more complicated than that.

_Are they, though?_ A voice, Hunter’s Rivaille realised with a mental sigh, asked in the back of the raven’s mind. His oh-so-complicated problems were nothing to that boy. He picked apart all the bits and pieces that distracted and caused arguments, then laid the problem out in front of him plain and simple. Then the solution.

But actually acting on all that…it would be up to Rivaille in the end.

“Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that you bonded Eren.” Mikasa said quietly, as if lost in thought.

The words startled Rivaille so much that all he could do for the longest time was stare at her. Mikasa had despised him for as long as they had known each other in Hell. It was no secret that she disapproved of him, even more so when Eren had become so involved with the night wraith.

To hear Mikasa just come out and say something so…nice? It threw Rivaille off.

“Mellowed me out, has it?” He said, trying for sarcastic.

The words sounded weary even to his own ears.

Mikasa didn’t have a reply for him. Her face didn’t change at all from its wary expression, almost set in stone at this point, but her eyes did flicker as if in amusement.

“What are your intentions?” She asked instead.

Rivaille blinked away the brief moment of conversational whiplash. “Regarding what?”

“Eren. His human. Your bond.”

And straight back to the problems. Lovely.

“That whole mess.” Rivaille tutted. “Everyone is taking it upon themselves to hound me about that as of late. As if it’s my sole responsibility.”

“Everyone?” Mikasa quirked a brow just barely. “Who?”

Rivaille felt it was wise not to answer, though his silence only caused Mikasa’s brow to rise higher. Not replying might have seemed suspicious.

It wasn’t as though he’d ever tried to be trustworthy before, though.

Instead of following down that potentially dangerous track of conversation, Rivaille let his eyes wander back across the room to where Armin was still at work. Muttering who knew what to a barely conscious Erwin. Rivaille could probably hear if he bothered to focus, but the fact that Erwin was utterly miserable was enough enjoyment for him. He didn’t need all the little details.

It would be the same old thing. Armin pulling out every last one of Erwin’s flaws and laying them out for him to see. Bringing each and every garish nightmare in the man’s mind to life and making damned sure that Erwin knew Armin was the only one who could make those nightmares stop. There was no way to fight against fear like that.

Even if Erwin managed to struggle, there was no way out for him other than the way Armin dragged him down.

Armin was really throwing himself into Erwin’s reformation. He seemed just about done with laying down the boundaries, what would happen if Erwin should so much as think of doing something other than what he was told. Not that he’d have an easy time of disobeying anyway.

The newly sealed ties between him and Armin were all but absolute. Erwin could rebel as much as he wanted in his spiteful mind, but once Armin gave him an instruction he would respond.

Armin was looking forward to the tiny, flickering signs of rebellion. The glowers, the pursing of lips, the tightening the jaw. Rivaille watched with lazy interest as Armin outlined the various awful experiences that would serve as punishments if he caught so much as a glimpse of spite. Erwin’s body was already hard at work mending all the damage Rivaille had done. Now it suffered Armin’s demonstrations. All the devastatingly tender places that Armin could dig his claws into, all the tricks Armin could pull to scrape Erwin’s nerves raw. And given his new immortality, Erwin would repair himself over and over regardless of how twisted Armin got with his discipline.

“You’re going to play puppet for us.” Armin was saying, not bothering with the near-silent murmurs from before. “And there won’t be a single thing to tip off your little organisation. Since I only injected you with venom, there’ll be no bite. Nothing to alert them to the change. Not even if they get paranoid to try silver on you. You’ll have my help maintaining a concealment spell, something to throw them off. It’ll be your job to keep all the pain locked away, though. Not so much as a flinch gets out to tip them off, do you hear me?”

Erwin just glared at him from the one eye that could see the little blonde, his head held against the floor by Armin’s with a handful of his hair.

Neither of them said a word and Rivaille almost felt like laughing.

So stubborn, the both of them. Erwin would break completely before the end, though. He had no idea what Eren had set him up for, handing the man’s care over to Armin. Eren had known. He was probably laughing about it right now. Armin had always been good at keeping other demons in line; he’d organised Eren’s armies for years. All sorts of beastly creatures, all of them vicious. None of them would cross the little blonde, though, and that alone spoke volumes about Armin.

He was Eren’s right hand troublemaker for a reason.

Rivaille wondered what that made him?

Was he a part of their fiendish little team now? Where did he fit in Eren’s grand scheme, or was he just a hindrance to it all?

“Are you…are you alright?” Mikasa asked next to him.

Rivaille’s eyes wandered over to stare at her, a question in the silent rise of an eyebrow.

“You were pouting, is all.” She explained, a tiny frown making itself known. “It was disturbing.”

Rivaille sent her a wry smirk. “Pouting was always your _brother’s_ forte.”

He let them keep the label, though there are no blood ties between Eren and Mikasa. It had always been that way, he supposes. They found family in one another wherever they went.

It was better than the alternative of wandering alone. Rivaille could confirm that.

“You’ll keep him safe?” Mikasa asked, standing all of a sudden.

Rivaille narrowed his eyes at her, never quite able to keep pace with her haphazard train of thought. But she meant Eren. Of course she did.

“I will.” He said.

“At any cost?”

“Of course.”

“Even if it _kills_ you?”

A humourless grin stretched Rivaille’s mouth. “Nothing can, _my dear_.”

Mikasa looked…doubtful.

“Eren’s plan might.” She said. “He’s going to get us all killed. I hope you’re on board with that by now, it’s too late to turn back.”

The words should have held tremendous weight, but Mikasa said them like they meant nothing. Like it was the most casual statement in the world.

Rivaille stood, glaring at her with slitted eyes. “Tell me.”

“We’re going after the last titan.”

Silence rang after the last word left Mikasa’s mouth. It was as if Hell held its breath at the mere mention of its ancient demons.

For the first time in a long time, Rivaille felt the icy, biting grip of fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dang. Shit's heating right up.


	66. A Place To Call Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _“Let me guess,” Levi cut Eren off before he could so much as try to speak, “you have to go?”_

 

Eren sat in an unfamiliar living room, quiet and crossed-legged on the floor. The sounds of scrubbing had long-since become the soundtrack of the day, from almost the moment they’d arrived here. Home. That’s what Levi had said to him.

“Welcome home.”

The place was unfamiliar, but Levi walked through it without so much as a pause. There was no hesitation in him as there had been in Eren, as he had carefully surveyed the front yard, the new rooms, the _backyard_. They had a backyard. With a tree. It was nice…but Eren was still trying to wrap his head around the idea. A house. Levi had bought _a whole house_. For them.

Well, he’d said he’d had help.

What was strange was that Eren couldn’t even say when all this had happened. One moment they had been living out of Hanji’s living room, the next Levi was shoving him out the door and giving a strange address to their cab driver.

Looking around the place, Eren had felt incredibly small. People had helped Levi get here, and now the raven invited him in like Eren wasn’t the number one source of trouble in his life. The apartment had been outright trashed because of Eren. Hanji’s place had been thrown into disarray. If the same happened here, maybe Levi would finally wake up and send Eren off.

Make the whole decision easier on them all.

Though Rivaille had seemed determined to make the choice for Eren, with his scandalous suggestions. Eren shut his eyes and fought off the impulse to dwell on those thoughts Rivaille had left him with. It wouldn’t do to think about.

But opening his eyes was not yet a comfort, not when it revealed this unfamiliar setting.

A proper living room. Not one conjoined with a kitchen and a shoddy laundry space. This was its own room. It was attached to a hallway at one end and at the other end there was a door to a study. Levi had mentioned that he was considering making the study his primary recording space so he could get back to actually doing some semblance of his job.

There were multiple bedrooms, two bathrooms, a whole kitchen. Unlike Levi’s old apartment, this place really looked like it could be a home. A place for more than just existing in between the routines of daily life.

This, Levi had informed him, would be their new home. It was beautiful, more spacious than the apartment had been, and yet Eren missed the way the old place had at least smelled of them.

Even Levi seemed displeased at that. His newly keen senses had sounded all kinds of alarm bells for the raven the moment he’d walked in the door. Levi’s nose picked up the scents of the builders that had worked here, even the movers that had helped cart in the furniture. Every last little speck of dirt, grime, and dust was lit up like a beacon for Levi’s sharp eyes.

“And I thought this place would need tidying before.” Levi had muttered after scowling in all directions for several long moments.

And he’d done nothing but stomp about on the cleaning spree of the century since they’d arrived.

Eren couldn’t believe that Levi had taken his newly received demonic powers…and turned them towards domestic use. Inhuman speed? Better use it for unpacking. Insane strength? Perfect for scrubbing the shit out of persistent grime and other unwelcome stains. It was bizarre seeing the benefits of Levi’s change being used for such normal purposes. Cleaning, really? Levi had been pretty thorough in his cleaning habits before, but Eren feared for his life now that Levi could take it a step further.

The lemony smell of whatever product Levi was using was pleasant, at least. Even if it was _everywhere_.

And Eren…he didn’t have a whole lot to do.

This was Levi’s house. He knew how he wanted it, where things went, how it should all be. Eren didn’t want to interfere only to upset the raven. Heck, he wasn’t even strictly needed for any heavy lifting since Levi had his own newfound strength.

It didn’t leave Eren with much to offer. So he just watched Levi cleaning from his spot on the new carpet, waiting for any instructions that might get sent his way.

“I can help if you want?” Eren offered as Levi passed by for the umpteenth time.

“I’ve got it, don’t worry.” Levi said, thankfully without any lingering bitterness. “I’m actually getting the hang of this demon thing.”

Eren managed a little smile at that.

Levi really was getting better. Newfound speed was put to use in tidying things at a rapid pace, but even so Levi took a worryingly long time on each room. Meticulous. Or more like ominous. Eren almost feared there would be no house left by the time Levi finished. Still, the raven made for an impressive sight. Darting back and forth, pausing only to snatch up a new cloth or bottle before he’d be speeding off with a frown. Levi had heaved furniture about like it was nothing. Really, that had only served to make Eren swoon after Levi but any attempts at seducing him away from his cleaning rampage were quickly thwarted with a sharp glower.

Now that most of the house had been scrubbed to within an inch of its life, Levi seemed a lot more chipper.

“And you’re using your newfound abilities to become the next janitor supervillain the world will be hearing about?” Eren teased.

Levi paused, holding his spray bottle of choice over his chest in an exaggerated kind of salute.

“The noblest of professions.” He murmured with false awe.

Or maybe it was just so much awe that it seemed fake. Eren couldn’t really tell.

With a glance in Eren’s direction, Levi snorted at the disdainful look on his face and carried on his merry way.

At the very least he seemed…happy. Happier than he had in a while. Eren suspected it had something to do with the new house, a place that was all Levi’s. He had no memories here to haunt him. No bad experiences to come creeping in to sour his mood. That was the whole point of getting a new place, apparently. According to Hanji, the house was a (somewhat extravagant) gift to the both of them so that the pair could have a place to themselves. Somewhere to start fresh. Somewhere to sort through the mess of trouble that had come their way.

It would also mean that they wouldn’t have to intrude on Hanji’s hospitality anymore.

Everyone was grateful of that. Especially Hanji. She could finally start renovating and replacing all her ruined stuff, even call Moblit back home, now that her house was hers again.

Hanji had waved away Eren’s apologies. She didn’t want any explanations; it was enough that he was doing his best to take care of Levi. There were some threats, naturally. Eren took every last one of them a hundred percent seriously, too. And of course Hanji’s only real request of him, as a favour for trashing her home, was that he not explain anything else to her until the end.

“I’m not one for spoilers.” She’d said with a weary grin. “Surprise, surprise. I know. But maybe once this whole mess is over you and I can sit down and you can tell the whole damn story, yeah? I’m a good listener.”

And Eren had promised her answers. All of them. The tests she’d wanted to run, too.

Even if in his heart he’d known there was a chance he’d have to break that promise. Eren would have to make it back to keep his word.

He should tell Levi.

There was always so much that they had to talk about. It seemed like their whole time together had been a mess of either talking about things…or avoiding talking about things.

This was definitely the latter.

Levi was busy, happy tidying up his home and relearning his love for disinfectant. Now that was a love affair that even Eren couldn’t pull the man away from. Even so, Levi hadn’t seemed so calm in _so long_. He was in his element, finally. Rediscovering some of the mundane and normal things he loved about life. Even things he didn’t love about life, like how persistent dirt could be.

And Eren was afraid to shatter the moment. Just let him clean, let him organise the place, let him have this moment of order for a while after all the shit they’d been through.

But of course fate had other ideas.

In the middle of his contemplation, Eren felt a stirring of awareness.

A whisper in the back of Eren’s mind had him jerking upright, eyes flaring bright for an instant.

Armin was done. He was attempting to contact Eren.

_He’s ready, we should talk._

 

 

Levi thought nothing of it when he heard Eren finally move from that spot in the living room he’d been occupying for the past…had it been hours?

Then again Levi supposed it did feel like it had been hours. Just because he’d been moving at the speed of goddamn since they’d come in the front door didn’t mean that time passed any slower. But the house was finally starting to get into respectable shape.

Though perhaps Levi had gone a little overboard.

Still, he preferred the overpowering burn of lemon in his lungs than that stale feet smell.

Eren had assured him that Levi wouldn’t have even noticed it as a human. That had only made Levi scowl, thinking about all the potential filth that had been hiding in his life up until this point.

He’d turned down Eren’s offers to help, preferring to get the job done himself. And that had left Eren bored and sighing in the living room since.

At least the kid was moving again. From the sound of things, Eren was heading for the bathroom. For what reason, Levi didn’t know. He didn’t really need to know, not when his attention was currently focused on obliterating the stench of the workmen who’d built the place. Levi’s nose had been keen before, but it was remarkable how well the littlest scents could linger and annoy his newly sensitive sense of smell.

It had to go. All of the unpleasantness was chased out bit by bit. Levi was gradually replacing it all with…what was this one supposed to smell like? He glowered at the label of his current spray bottle. Lemongrass, it boasted. Well it smelled divine in comparison to the gnarly foot smell that still tickled Levi’s nose from time to time.

He scowled, but it was more determination than anger.

If there was one thing he could do, it was clean.

Actually…there were a lot of things Levi could do now. He’d been a tough son of a bitch before, but Levi still didn’t know the full extent of his newfound demonic strength. Levi had gone through a brief run through of some of the techniques he’d taught at the dojo while Eren had been busy wailing apologies at Hanji before they’d left.

Levi was fast. He’d stunned himself at how quickly he could move. Even simple defence measures could be deadly now. Throwing someone off could send them through a building if he wasn’t careful.

It was a heady, thrilling thing knowing how much power burned in him. But that was exactly why he would be patient, calm, and make damned sure that he had control over himself.

That was around about the time Levi noticed Eren was talking away to himself. Crazy kid. Had Levi left him alone so long that he’d started creating imaginary friends to pass the time? Levi smiled at the thought.

His smile faded, however, when he realised it wasn’t just Eren who was talking.

There really was someone else.

Levi had never been more grateful for the inhuman speed his change had granted him. In a second he’d abandoned his cleaning supplies and made it to the living room where the voices were, eyes whipping about to assess the room. Two figures. Eren and someone unknown; Levi identified it in an instant. In the next moment he had the newcomer pinned against a wall, teeth bared at the hissing blonde.

Small, maybe not quite as short as Levi but much slighter. His feet kicked against the wall and Levi realised he had this thing off the ground.

“ _Eren what the fuck?_ ” The little blonde choked out the words, doing his best to snarl at his attacker.

Levi had been thinking something along the same lines. Before he could ask Eren that question he found himself jerking his head towards another presence, unable to see anyone but aware that someone else was around.

“Eren-” he began, but then a second stranger emerged from the hallway.

For a split second Levi saw wide, blue eyes. Oh…not a stranger, after all.

Then he saw red. Well…more like black, for the blood that Erwin possessed now was no longer of the red variety. Levi had a hand at his shoulder, through his shoulder, in his attempt to remove the stain of human existence from his home.

“ _Eren!_ ”

“I’m trying!”

“ _Out. Not in my house. Not_ ever _again._ ” Levi could hear himself saying, in a voice that was both like and unlike how he usually sounded.

There were hands on him, but they proved ineffective at stopping him as he hauled Smith through the hall towards the foyer. Out. Damned bastard was getting blood on the floor. The newly cleaned floors. Damn it all to hell.

“ _LEVI_!” The scream belonged to Eren and for some reason it pulled all the will from Levi.

He stumbled to a stop, stunned at his own response. His hand jerked free of Erwin’s bloody shoulder as though he’d been burned and he was left staring at his own gore-covered fingers.

Disgusting.

“Levi-” Eren tried.

Eren looked wary of him when Levi spun to hiss his fury and that was enough to give the raven pause. The snarling died in his throat.

He shut his eyes tight, taking in a deep breath that stank of blood and demon and that goddamned lemon. This couldn’t be happening. Levi felt a snarl building and he stalked away a few steps. Not far. Just a little space.

“Eren.” Levi worked especially hard to keep his voice calm, though he was all but vibrating with the need to tear something in two. “I don’t want you to explain anything. But he doesn’t stay.”

“He’s one of us now, Levi. I know that’s going to be…hard to understand.”

“What did I just say?” Levi rounded on the brunet, not surprised when Eren winced. “Don’t explain. Don’t even talk. You take that piece of slime right there,” he stabbed a finger in Erwin’s direction, the blonde standing still and silent and downright eerie in the hallway, “and you send him to the farthest point on Earth from this spot. Do you know what he’s done?”

Eren’s eyes hardened. “Yes.”

He knew, of course he knew.

“Then tell me how you can stand there and say that he’s one of us?”

“Because that’s just the way it is.” Eren said. “He’s ours because I need him, not because I don’t want him dead. When this is over, you’ll never have to worry about the likes of Erwin Smith again. And that’s a promise. But for now…this is how things are. He has a part to play, Levi. He’s no threat to you anymore now that he’s under Armin’s will.”

Another fucking demon. Of course they would immortalise Erwin like that.

Somewhere in the living room, the little blonde demon could still be heard coughing. Eren’s eyes widened at the realisation and he darted off.

Levi stood still as stone, watching the silhouette of Erwin looming in the hall. He’d watched Eren go. Not a single word spoken, not a move made. Then his head turned and Levi found himself sending a sharp-toothed sneer the blonde’s way as Erwin stared him down.

“If you want to go for a second round,” Levi all but growled, “I can promise you won’t get out of it alive this time.”

Erwin just looked at him. He didn’t even blink.

Levi squinted. “Demonhood just made you even more creepy, huh?” When he received no reply once more, Levi glared. “The silent treatment is just fine with me, but do me a favour and stop bleeding on my floors.”

At that, Erwin finally moved. He brought a hand up to his shoulder, smothering the wounds there, though he still did not move.

It was official, Levi thought. The demons had broken Erwin Smith.

 

 

Eren found Armin picking himself up off of the carpet in the living room, looking thoroughly shaken. And pissed.

“Armin?” Eren asked to check if the blonde was alright, keeping his ears trained for sounds from the hallway. “All good?”

The blonde snapped his head up and aimed a fuming glare Eren’s way. “Eren what the hell was that?”

Eren stared at his friend, eyes wide, as Armin all but wheezed the words at him. He was…really hurt.

“Holy damn.” Eren murmured, stunned.

Armin looked just as stunned, though thoroughly unimpressed. “What in the love of sin was that? Not only did you _turn_ him, but you’re letting him lash out like that? Take better control of your minions!” The blonde managed to rasp out.

Armin shook where he stood, as though his legs didn’t think they could hold his weight for a moment, and the blonde looked horrified. But he didn’t fall.

Eren frowned. “He’s not my _minion_.” They’d talked about this, though Armin had seemed dubious that Eren could achieve a proper union via venom. “Levi is my mate. He’s free.”

Pausing in a concerned inspection of himself, Armin outright gaped at the brunet.

“You…oh for the love of-you _freed_ him?” Armin pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling sharply in frustration, but he waved away Eren’s attempted explanations. “I don’t even want to know how. _Why_ would you do something like this? Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you’re setting yourself up for once Rivaille finds out?”

At the mention of Rivaille, Eren’s eyes flickered. Those teal orbs became stern and Armin didn’t miss the way the temperature dropped.

“He’s not going to find out from anyone but me.” Eren said, authority leaking through. “Understood?”

Armin raised an eyebrow at the display. “I wouldn’t tell him anything.” He assured Eren, concerned at the show of threat. “You know I’m loyal. Rivaille has never done anything for me. But I’m telling you as someone who…worries…that your new mate is too dangerous to be parading around with his own free will. Did you see what just happened?”

Eren had, in fact, seen all of what had happened. What was stunning was that it had occurred faster than he could move to stop it…faster even than Armin.

And Armin was faster than most.

“Yes.” Eren said, and his next words sounded a bit smug. “He got you.”

Armin didn’t disagree.

“He fucking _had me_ , Eren. That doesn’t happen.” The horrified look was back, Armin’s wariness of this new and unknown thing driving him towards panic. “ _No one_ is that fast, especially not a fucking baby demon!”

“Rivaille is easily that fast.”

“He’s not Rivaille!” Armin all but hissed, the tone almost starting him up coughing again. He winced. “When Rivaille moves like _that_ , it’s thousands of years worth of built up strength at work. That’s earned power, Eren. Of course no one stands a chance against something like that. That makes sense. But this? This is insane! You’ve broken some rules, somewhere, in doing this and I’m telling you that you’ve fucked up.”

Eren frowned, not used to hearing his friend go off at him quite this passionately. Of course, Armin usually had something to say against his plans. But he went along with most things in the end, working to smooth out the kinks, ensuring that Eren wasn’t going in blind.

He was honestly fighting to get Eren to listen this time.

It felt bizarre. For the first time, Armin didn’t think Eren could handle the situation he’d brought upon himself. And Armin wasn’t usually wrong.

Even so, Eren shook his head.

“Levi is fine.” He said.

And he was. He had been. After sealing their bond properly, Levi had been startlingly adept at the whole demon thing. He had his strength under control. His speed was used for even simple tasks, like it was second nature.

Levi was beyond fine.

Armin’s scowl deepened. “Then why do I feel like I just got backhanded by your titan form?”

Truth be told…it looked like that’s what had happened. Armin looked like he’d been through an entire war rather than simply shoved against a wall. He was physically weary. Eren realised with a start that there were tiny wisps of steam coming off of him in places.

Armin’s body was recovering from actual damage.

And that…that shouldn’t have been possible. But Eren didn’t have any explanation for Armin.

“You can relax,” he said, offering the only comfort he could think of, “there’s no possible way that he’s a titanborn. He was human, Armin. You worry too much.”

The blonde rolled his eyes. “I know that he can’t be titanborn, Eren, but _you_ are. And you turned your mortal. And let him free. Just how much power is rolling around inside your little one? Do you even know?”

That…was an interesting thought, actually. Eren hadn’t considered how strong Levi might honestly become, having a considerably powerful creator. The stronger the demon, the stronger the resulting minion would be. Eren had known that much. But the power of the titans was something that was kept securely locked away unless or until it was needed. That was a truly devastating strength to possess. Levi couldn’t have shared in that kind of power, not without Eren knowing about it.

Could he?

Perhaps there were some rules that weren’t meant to be broken…

Eren fretted in the quiet, feeling Armin’s critical gaze burning holes in the side of his head.

“Even if he’s gained some of that strength…” Eren took pause, sighing, “it’ll be okay. Levi’s tough. He’s stubborn. There’s no way he’ll let himself get out of hand.”

“You don’t know that. There are meant to be rules, Eren. They exist for a reason. No demon that young should have that kind of power, especially if they’re not even aware of it. That’s the stuff of nightmares just walking around in a house. In the living world.”

“Levi can’t summon a titan form, Armin.” Eren said without hesitation. “Even if he can tap into that strength, the risk is minimal as long as he isn’t threatened.”

When he looked to Armin, the blonde did not look particularly comforted by his words.

“I hope you’re right.” Armin muttered. “If he becomes a danger to this world, I’ll drag him through to Hell and toss him into the war myself.”

At that, Eren felt a surprisingly smug smile take over his features.

“If he ever got out of control, I’d like to see you try that.” Eren felt his smile grow. “I wouldn’t even need to stop you.”

“Don’t let things get out of hand. Not when we’re this close.”

“I won’t jeopardise anything, we’ve come too far.” Eren assured his friend with a clipped tone, eyes flashing in warning. “But you don’t threaten my mate. You don’t touch him. You don’t hurt him.”

“Honestly, I would be more concerned about him hurting himself.”

 

 

Levi scowled, wishing his hearing wasn’t so damned good. If he did have some freaky, next level type power he didn’t want to know about it; things were crazy enough as they were.

The raven turned his scowl on the shadow of a presence lingering in the hallway and the glare intensified. Erwin had yet to do anything other than look at him. Normally it would have creeped Levi out, but the longer the silence stretched on the more irritated it made him.

“What, are you mute now?” The raven muttered.

Nothing. Not even a blink.

With no progress being made in that area, Levi stalked off. He made his way towards the living room, unsure of what exactly he would find there.

His presence was not welcomed by the little blonde, who immediately sent a shrill hiss Levi’s way. Levi returned the sound with possibly more ire. He was pissed. Not one day spent there and his new home was filled to bursting with demons. Armin’s hiss faltered, the sound aborting into another string of coughing. The little blonde was trembling, Levi noticed. Tremors in his legs. Weaknesses that Levi’s sharp eyes picked out without him even consciously looking for them.

With an agitated sound, Armin crumpled under his own weight and surrendered to coughing himself sore on the carpet.

Levi must have really done a number on the blonde to have him breaking down like that.

Another demon, then? One of Eren’s fiendish little chums. Knowing Eren and his history, this little twerp was probably a lot deadlier than he looked. Well, despite his slight appearance that glare was almost enough to kill someone. Damn. But Levi outright refused to stand down in his own home, a home he’d only just moved into today. He glared at the blonde, eyes alight with quiet anger.

Quiet this time. Mostly because his previous approach had not led anywhere.

“Eren. Do introduce your guest.” Levi said. He paused at the sudden presence that emerged from the hallway, rolling his eyes at Erwin’s sporadic appearance. “My bad, guests.”

Erwin. Someone that Levi really could have done without seeing again. Granted he looked very different and hadn’t said a word, which was odd for him. There was no doubting it, though, that was Erwin Smith. Asshole extraordinaire. Calmly walking into Levi’s living room like he’d been there a hundred times before. He didn’t seem particularly bothered by the holes that had been stabbed through his shoulder. The man moved silently to stand by Armin, though he made no move to help the coughing demon to his feet.

Eren winced when all eyes turned on him. “Everyone calm down. Levi…this…this really isn’t a good time.”

“Not a good time for me to be in my own house?” Levi asked with false calm, inclining his head. “What is _he_ doing here?”

He didn’t need to look at Erwin for Eren to know who he meant.

“It’s alright.” Eren tried to assure him. “He’s with us now, though it’s not a permanent thing-”

Armin cut in. “You can explain it to him later. Let the pets go and play so we can talk.” Armin jerked his chin in Levi’s direction. “Erwin, go with him.”

Eren shook his head. “That’s a terrible idea.”

“Relax,” Armin rolled his eyes, “he’s harmless.”

“I wasn’t worried about what _Erwin_ might do.”

At this, Armin sneered and his gaze snapped towards where Levi was busy glaring daggers. “Keep your hands off my minion. He has a purpose.”

Levi’s lip curled at the thought. “I wouldn’t even dream about touching him in a million years.”

That seemed to satisfy the little blonde some. “Good.” He said, with a note of finality. “Scram, the _both_ of you. I need to speak with your master.”

Against his better judgement, Levi turned on his heel and stomped off towards the other end of the house. Things had just rushed from ‘complicated’ to ‘I don’t even want to know’. Even complying with the little blonde viper’s wishes was better than standing around being confused by plans that everyone seemed to know about except Levi. Eren had his plan, his war. And from the sound of things, Levi was never meant to be a part of that. Well good. Fucking splendid, even. Levi had no intention nor desire to fight in some demon scuffle for power. Normality was ruined for him, had been since the first day he’d stumbled across Eren. But normality hadn’t been so great to start with.

If Levi had his way, he would live a thoroughly boring life utterly devoid of demonic chaos, other than the newly handy ability of lifting sofas with ease.

Maybe he could start his own little cleaning business? That would almost be nice.

Though it was hard to think about anything with Evil McPerfectHair lurking in the background. Erwin seemed to have taken Armin’s order to heart (if he still had a heart) and was following Levi around. Though after whatever had happened to him, Levi doubted Erwin had much of a choice in any of his actions nowadays. Perhaps it was a cruel form of poetic justice? Controlled by the very monsters that he’d foolishly tried to wipe out.

Levi shook his head at the thought.

He refused to be glad about Erwin’s suffering, whether or not the man deserved it. Erwin Smith hadn’t been a sane man in a long time. He’d done some terrible, fucking awful things…and Levi would be lying if he denied that Erwin had had some hardcore karma incoming.

He chose not to feel bad for Erwin, but he didn’t feel particularly good about it either. Indifference was the safest path.

While he waited for whatever secret meeting bullshit Eren had on to finish, Levi returned to his cleaning. If he scrubbed hard enough, he could focus on the scrubbing itself and drown out the chatter from the living room. It was none of his business anyway. If Eren had ever planned to tell him about it, then they would have had that conversation by now. It was never going to happen. By this point, Levi was more grateful that he wouldn’t have to know.

He cast a look back over his shoulder, shaking his head at the silent figure of Erwin lingering in a doorway.

“If you’re not going to talk, which I am perfectly okay with,” Levi paused to clarify before pointing at the cleaning supplies, “then grab a cloth and get wiping.”

Erwin blinked at him.

Sighing, Levi got to his feet, crossing the room and tossing the cloth in his hand in Erwin’s direction. When Erwin at least managed to catch it, Levi knew his movements weren’t entirely dictated by Armin. Knee-jerk responses were still categorised under ‘free will’.

Scooping up a spray bottle, Levi inclined his head to get Erwin moving. “Come on, it’ll be a team effort. I’ll spray, you scrub. You could even call it a bonding exercise.” Levi drawled. “Wouldn’t that just be the best.”

Surprisingly enough…it worked. Erwin didn’t seem to be in a position to argue or say no, and they made quick work of the remaining areas of the house that Levi had been unsatisfied with.

“Huh. Guess you’re not useless after all; you make a good little housemaid.” Levi muttered. “Do you think I could buy you off Armin as cleaning staff? What do demons even use as currency? Souls? Shit, I guess I’m broke in that area. Looks like you’re stuck with blondie, what a shame.”

 

Levi knew the moment that Armin left because Erwin was suddenly nowhere to be found. No more voices came from the living room. Even so, Levi was reluctant to go back and face whatever metaphorical music was waiting for him.

“Levi?” Eren’s voice finally called to him, sounding both small and resigned at once.

Eren actually jumped a little when Levi darted into the room. Even Eren was used to the raven’s new abilities, it would seem, and Levi made it into the living room before Eren could try to look less guilty.

“Let me guess,” Levi cut Eren off before he could so much as try to speak, “you have to go?”

A sigh was the only answer that Levi got.

It wasn’t surprising.

“Not exactly how I planned our housewarming to go.” Levi admitted.

“I might not make it back.” Eren said, finally laying out a simple truth without dancing around the point. “And I wanted you to know that.”

“This is pretty shitty as final goodbyes go.”

“I don’t want it to be goodbye.” Eren shook his head, eyes miserable and locked on the floor. “It’s going to be an ugly fight. A lot of us are going to die, and I don’t know if I’m going to be one of them. I know we have a lot we haven’t talked about…I want to give you those answers, but there’s never enough time.” Eren looked at Levi, finally, and there was something hard in his gaze. “Believe me when I say I’ll never choose just one of you.”

Levi knew what he meant in an instant, though he wasn’t sure anymore whether that was the right choice for them to make.

“I wish there was more time.” Eren confessed.

They’d already wasted the time for talking with memories, some happy, some not.

“Go have your war.” Levi said. “If you’re still kicking by the end of it…I’ll be here. Then we can talk.”

Eren managed a small smile at that. “If I don’t make it…you’ll know. Free or not, your life is tied to mine…and I almost wish I hadn’t turned you. I don’t want my failure to result in your death.”

“Then don’t die.” Levi stared him down. “Or I’ll kick your sorry ass in the demonic afterlife.”

Eren looked utterly befuddled. “You know there’s no such thing.”

“Do _you_ know that?” Levi challenged.

Eren swallowed.

“It’s not just mindless violence, you know that…right?” The brunet asked, like he needed Levi to understand. “If I don’t go, if I don’t fight…there won’t be two separate worlds anymore. Hell is restless. If they open the gates, then both worlds will be just as hellish. I won’t pick either one to succeed, we need both. It’s how the balance is kept. One can’t survive without the other, though they sure as hell are determined to try.”

Somehow, Levi wasn’t sure if Eren was talking about just the two worlds anymore.

“So you’re trying to avoid the demon apocalypse?” Levi gave a dry hum, vaguely amused and desperate to change the subject. “And here we all thought it would be zombies.”

Eren smiled properly, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Sure footsteps led Eren across the room until he stood before Levi, fondness lurking in teal depths, and he bent to kiss the raven. If Levi should bite him, then so be it. Not like he wouldn’t have deserved it. But despite all the mischief, the moment was serious and Levi treated it as such. The kiss was brief. Levi’s dormant heart felt suddenly heavy in his chest when Eren leaned back, gaze soft with the ghost of a promise he couldn’t make.

Shouldn’t make.

The words left Eren regardless.

“I will come back for you by the end.”

Levi couldn’t bring himself to scoff. “Don’t make promises you intend to break.”

With a last, lingering smile, Eren was gone.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit's about to go down.
> 
> Also hi, I'm not dead, and no this fic hasn't been abandoned.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Devil's Hands Make Light Work](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4761710) by [twisted_fiction](https://archiveofourown.org/users/twisted_fiction/pseuds/twisted_fiction)




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